For Beijing, the supply of weapons to the Russian Federation may help to balance defense relations with the Russian Federation. The Kremlin, in turn, will receive weapons that could potentially change the course of hostilities.
The Russian army lost more than 9,400 pieces of equipment in the war against Ukraine, including more than 1,500 tanks. Because of this, American intelligence began to record that China is considering the supply of weapons to the Russian Federation. It could change the course of the war. It is reported by The Economist.
The Russian Federation is running out of countries that can supply weapons. The reserves that were in Belarus have been exhausted. Therefore, according to American intelligence, China is considering the possibility of supplying weapons to the Russian Armed Forces, which can not only change the course of the war, but also cause a global crisis between the US/Europe and China.
Since the beginning of a full-scale invasion, the Russian Federation has been requesting weapons since the first months of the war. Beijing’s assistance is limited to the supply of helmets, dual-use items such as parts for aircraft, journalists write.
The media also wrote that the Russian Federation is negotiating with the Chinese company Xi’an Bingo Intelligent Aviation Technology to purchase 100 UAVs. Also in China there is ammunition of the required calibers, which will be enough to prevent a crisis with them in the Russian Federation.
For China, arms deliveries could help reset and balance defense relations with Russia. It is noted that the import of Russian military technologies to China from 2017 to 2021 was 81%. Beijing could help Russia bypass Western sanctions, according to Michael Rush of the School of International Studies. Rajamaratnam in Singapore.
In return, Beijing may demand RD-180 rocket engine technology for spacecraft, and possibly ballistic missiles. The transfer of underwater technologies and jet engines for aircraft is also not ruled out.
Undermining the plans of China, the United States, which revealed the intentions of the parties. Therefore, Beijing is angry with the Kremlin, any arms sales should have been secret. Another argument in favor of arms supplies is China’s unwillingness to allow the Russian Federation to be humiliated by the West.
The publication summarizes that Chinese officials claim that there are no plans to supply weapons to the Russian Federation. Also recently, US President Joe Biden said he does not expect significant Chinese action. The situation may change after the start of the spring campaigns of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.
“I do not expect a major initiative from China to supply arms to Russia,” Biden said.
Recall that on March 2, ISW wrote that Lukashenka went to China so that Beijing would prevent Moscow from absorbing Belarus.
Also, the Canadian Foreign Ministry said that China could force the Russian Federation to withdraw troops from Ukraine.
