China has ramped up the military support given to its allies in Moscow despite Beijing still positioning itself as neutral in regards to the war in Ukraine, it has been reported.
Vladimir Putin has continued to strengthen his alliance with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, securing both military and financial support as Russia continues to pursue its goals in Ukraine.
US intelligence has now claimed Beijing is contributing with additional support, giving Russia “satellite imagery for military purposes, as well as microelectronics and machine tools for tanks, according to people familiar with the matter,” according to Bloomberg sources.
The Pentagon has warned partners across both NATO and the European Union about the “concerning scale” of Beijing’s help to Russia, which they claim includes “tools, inputs and technical expertise.”
Last month, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the People’s Republic of China (PRC) had been helping Moscow in manufacturing optical equipment and propellants.
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Lavrov is expected to meet with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi, who has visited Russia during the conflict and maintained China’s line of not dubbing the Russian war in Ukraine an invasion.
Russian state news agency Tass said the ministers would “discuss the situation in Ukraine and the Asia-Pacific region, issues of bilateral cooperation and interaction in the international arena,” quoting Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova.
Despite its clear backing of Russia in the Ukraine war, China’s foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning told reporters Monday that “China has an objective and fair position on the Ukraine issue.”
“We have been actively promoting peace talks and political solutions. China is not a creator or party to the Ukraine crisis, and we have not and will not do anything to profit from it,” Mao told reporters at a daily briefing.
China has also said it wasn’t providing Russia with arms or military assistance, although it has maintained robust economic connections with Moscow, alongside India and other countries.
