China may boost military support for Russia under certain conditions — historian

Historian and member of the Expert Council of the Center for Civil Liberties Vyacheslav Likhachov shared his opinions with Espreso TV.

“If China were truly deeply interested in a decisive Russian victory in the war against Ukraine, Beijing would provide Moscow with much greater military-technical assistance. Currently, China is satisfied with the situation as it stands. Due to the aggression, Moscow lost access to European markets and is forced to sell its energy resources at a discounted price. These conditions fully suit China. In fact, Russia has become a raw material appendage politically dependent on China. On the other hand, Russia has turned into a market for higher-tech Chinese products. European cars are no longer the most popular in Russia, and Russians can now buy Chinese ones,” Likhachov explained.

The historian believes that Beijing is interested in the West, led by the U.S., focusing more attention on the war in Ukraine.

“China has become the sole source of electronics and other dual-use products for the Russian military-industrial complex. Russia is willing to pay for this, and China is fully satisfied. Beijing is interested in a prolonged war and a dependent Russia. There is also a political goal: to disperse Western and U.S. resources and involve them in this confrontation so they do not pay attention to China’s actions,” he added.

• In February, Estonian intelligence reported that China is helping Russia produce military drones by supplying critically important Western components.
• On July 24, Reuters, citing three European security officials, reported that Chinese engines are being secretly supplied to a Russian state drone manufacturer through front companies disguised as industrial refrigeration units to evade Western sanctions.