China’s Support for Russia’s Military Expansion: Impact on Ukraine and Global Security

The Yars intercontinental ballistic missile was unveiled at a military parade in Moscow last May/Alexander Avilov/Moscow News Agency/Reuters

2024.04.13 Saturday posted at 11:20 JST

(CNN) China is giving Russia heavy support to bolster its defense industrial base, and Russia, which is at war with Ukraine, is embarking on its most ambitious expansion of military production since the Soviet era, it has been learned. . This was announced by a senior Biden administration official.

China’s aid includes large amounts of machine tools, drones, turbojet engines, technology for cruise missiles, microelectronic components, and nitrocellulose, which Russia uses as a propellant in its weapons.

Chinese and Russian companies are also working on joint production of drones in Russia, one of the officials said.

While Chinese support has had a significant impact on Russia’s ability to continue fighting in Ukraine, the Ukrainian military is currently suffering from a lack of equipment and weapons. The situation in Ukraine is further aggravated by the fact that Republicans in the US Congress continue to block a vote on new military aid to Ukraine.

The commander of the European Command of the United States, Gen. Kavoli, in Congressional testimony this week that Russia has been “fairly successful” in rebuilding its military since the invasion of Ukraine more than two years ago, and that its capabilities are generally back to pre-invasion levels. US officials have now made it clear that China is contributing significantly to this rapid military build-up.

A figure that shows the deepening cooperative relationship between China and Russia is that 90% of the microelectronics parts imported by Russia in 2023 were made in China. Russia uses these microelectronic components to make missiles, tanks and planes, the second official said.

Russia’s rapid expansion in shell production was largely due to nitrocellulose imported from China. CNN reported earlier this year that if the current trend continues, Russian artillery shell production is expected to reach nearly three times that of the United States and Europe.

In addition to defense weapons, China is also assisting Russia with satellites and other space capabilities for use in Ukraine, and is said to be providing imagery for use in the Ukraine war.

At the start of the Ukraine war, Russia’s defense industry suffered a major setback due to US sanctions and export controls, but support from China is now filling the gap.

US President Biden expressed concerns about China’s support for Russia’s defense industrial base in a telephone conversation with Chinese President Xi Jinping this month. Other officials have repeatedly raised similar concerns with the Chinese side.

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