Connexion
Chinese companies export, Russia kills, while trade between countries hits record €246 billion
Chinese companies directly supplied at least €55 million worth of parts and materials to sanctioned Russian firms in 2023–2024. During this period, Moscow was actively building a large-scale logistics infrastructure for its drone program, The Telegraph reports.
In 2025, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told the European Union’s top diplomat that Beijing can’t accept Russia losing its war against Ukraine. In this case, according to him, the US would turn its full attention to China.
Almost a quarter of the supplies, worth €12.5 million, went to companies involved in producing Iranian Shahed kamikaze drones in a Russian special economic zone in the city of Alabuga.
Among the goods exported from China were: aircraft engines, microchips, metal alloys, fiberglass, optics, and carbon fibers – all critical components for drone production.
Chinese neutrality only in words
Beijing publicly claims neutrality in the war, but the supply of drone parts reveals deep military cooperation with Moscow. On the battlefield, this is confirmed by the fact that Ukrainian troops regularly find Chinese components in downed Russian equipment.
“One has a very important interest in the survival of the other; this is not going to change. It’s a simple, geographic fact,” said Andrea Ghiselli, an expert on China’s foreign policy.
At the same time, unlike North Korea, China avoids direct participation in the war. Instead, it allows its companies to export dual-use goods. This has led to record trade volumes between the two countries – €246 billion in 2024.
Russia increases drone production
In just three months of 2023, the Chinese company Ningbo Peak Cloud Import and Export supplied Russia with aircraft engines worth €3.5 million for the Ural Civil Aviation Plant, which is under sanctions.
In total, The Telegraph identified 97 Chinese suppliers. At least five Russian firms, including the Ural Civil Aviation Plant, PT Electronic, and Radioline, directly use Chinese components in drone production.
As a result, in just the first half of 2024, Russia produced more than 2,000 “Harpy” drones, almost matching the total output of the entire previous year.
The company Mile Hao Xiang Technology also supplied engines for the “Gerbera” drone worth more than €1.5 million in 2022–2023, including through intermediaries. The main importers were Russian companies Sequoia JSC and Unikom LLC.
The real volume of supplies may be much higher than official statistics show.
