About 73% of dual-use goods and 90% of all semiconductors and other microelectronics were imported into Russia from China.
Points of attention
- The People's Republic of China has provided Russia with technology for weapons systems, which poses a threat to European security.
- During 2023, China significantly increased its support for Russia's defense and industrial base through the import of dual-purpose goods.
- China has become the largest supplier of dual-purpose goods to Russia, which plays an important role in the military industry of the Russian Federation.
China is funding the biggest threat to European security since World War II
Catherine Brooker, US Chargé d'Affaires at the OSCE, stated this during a meeting of the organization's Permanent Council in Vienna.
The People's Republic of China, or PRC, has provided Russia with a large amount of dual-use technology and weapons precursors that have been used to create weapons systems, including nitrocellulose, which is used to make gunpowder, machine tools, and optics needed to make UAVs, missiles, and projectiles. , she said.
Catherine Brooker
Temporary Chargé d'affaires of the USA at the OSCE
The American diplomat emphasised that China "finances the biggest threat to European security since the Second World War."
She cited "some statistical data based on Russian customs data" in order to explain the extent of China's support for Russia's war against Ukraine.
China is now the largest supplier of dual-use goods to Russia, accounting for more than 73% of Russian imports of these goods as of February 2022. This is approximately 16 billion dollars. dual purpose goods critical to Russia's military efforts. Almost 90% of all semiconductors and other microelectronics imported into Russia in 2023 were shipped through China, Brooker said.
In addition to microelectronics, the United States has serious concerns about exporting machine tools, nitrocellulose, optics, cruise missiles, and unmanned aerial vehicle technologies by Chinese enterprises to Russia.
China has increased its support of Russia’s defence and industrial industries
She also pointed out that in the period from February 2022 to February 2023, China significantly increased its support for the Russian defence and industrial base:
The average monthly Russian import of dual-use goods from China increased by more than 350 million dollars. from August 2022 to January 2023 compared to the previous six months. This is a 78 percent increase over this six-month period.
According to her, as of February 2023, China has increased monthly supplies of dual-use goods of Western origin to Russia by more than 500%.
This extremely high level of support continued throughout 2023, peaking in June 2023 when Russia imported $162 million worth of goods from China. The United States, which come from countries that have imposed sanctions against Russia, Brooker said.
The American diplomat emphasized that China's support was "crucial for Russia's ability to restore its industrial base."
In addition, she pointed out that the United States has imposed sanctions on enterprises of the People's Republic of China that are developing the Russian defence industrial base.
