Chinese companies, including one connected to the government in Beijing, have sent Russian entities 1,000 assault rifles and other equipment that could be used for military purposes, including drone parts and body armor, according to trade and customs data obtained by Politico.
Politico reports that the shipments took place between June and December 2022, according to the data provided by ImportGenius, a customs data aggregator.
- State-owned China North Industries Group Corporation Limited sent the CQ-A rifles, modeled off of the M16 but tagged as “civilian hunting rifles” in the data.
- Russian entities received 12 shipments of drone parts from Chinese companies and over 12 tons of Chinese body armor, routed via Türkiye, in late 2022, according to the data.
“In addition to drones, Russia has for months relied on other countries, including China, for navigation equipment, satellite imagery, vehicle components and other raw materials to help prop up President Vladimir Putin’s year-old war on Ukraine,” Politico wrote.
Read also:
- China’s leader Xi Jinping to discuss Russia’s war with Putin and Zelenskyy – WSJ
- USA to tighten restrictions on chipmaking exports to China – Bloomberg
- Chinese state-owned firm sends helicopter parts to Russia — CNN
- Russia sends China 6.5 tons of uranium, sparks nuclear arms race concerns – Bloomberg
- US State Secretary reiterates concerns China will provide lethal aid to Russia – CNN
- China considering sending weapons to Russia – ISW
- Chinese drones still support Russia’s war against Ukraine, trade data show — WSJ
- Russia buys US-made components for electronic warfare systems through Chinese, Turkish intermediaries – Russian media
