The Chinese Embassy in the United States denies that China has supplied weapons to either side of the war in Ukraine.
China has repeatedly said it has not supplied weapons to either side of the war in Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping pictured on February 4, 2022. ZumaWire / MVPHOTOS
Last year, Russia received at least a thousand assault rifles and other equipment that could be used for military purposes sent by Chinese companies, says Politico in his recent report.
At least one of the Chinese companies in question is said to have ties to the Chinese government.
Among the supplies received by Russia, it is reported that in addition to rifles, there were at least bulletproof vests. Politico bases its information on, among other things, international customs data.
Deliveries are said to have taken place between June and December 2022. This is evident from the information provided by ImportGenius, which compiled the customs data.
For example, assault rifles were officially classified as “civilian hunting rifles” in customs information. According to Politico’s report, however, the rifles can equally be used for military purposes, and Chinese paramilitary forces, among others, are said to be using similar weapons.
The Russians are said to have also received 12 deliveries containing parts for drones from Chinese companies. According to Politico, the route of the shipments would have passed through Turkey and the United Arab Emirates in late 2022.
At the moment, according to the newspaper, it is unclear whether Russia will use any of the rifles included in the shipment data on the battlefield. DJI drones have been spotted on the battlefield for months. The Chinese company did not immediately respond to Politico’s request for comment.
Drones have been spotted on the battlefield for months. Illustration image. Jaakko Stenroos
The newspaper points out that the customs data do not show that China is selling a large number of weapons to Russia specifically to support its war efforts.
But it does reveal, according to the paper, that China is supplying Russian companies with previously undisclosed “dual-use” equipment – commercial goods that could also be used on the battlefield in Ukraine.
The Chinese Embassy in the United States has denied to Politico that China has supplied weapons to either side of the war in Ukraine.
Kamikaze planes?
In February, it was reported that the German Der Spiegel – magazine, China would negotiate with Russia for the delivery of one hundred kamikaze planes.
At the same time, the United States and Germany warned China against sending weapons to Russia. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed In connection with the Munich Security Conference, his concerns about China’s possible involvement in the escalation of the war.
During the February conference, Blinken met with China’s foreign policy adviser Wang Yin and warned China against giving Russia military support.
– We are very concerned that China is considering giving lethal support to Russia in the country’s attack on Ukraine. I made it clear that this would also have serious consequences for our relations, Blinken said three weeks ago.
At the time, a spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry condemned Blinken’s statement, calling it disinformation.
