What role has China played in the Russian economy since the start of the invasion of Ukraine?

The representative of Russia Vladimir Putin visited this week China meet President Xi Jinping and strengthen ties between the two countries.

Since the beginning of the invasion Ukraine On February 24, 2022, the leaders met a total of four times. .

This week of May 16 is positioned as the last in addition to being the second in a seven-month period.

For the Kremlin, China represents a powerful ally for its economy which was hit by the costs associated with the war and the sanctions imposed by its opponents Westerners.

In this direction, The United States has accused the Asian country of supplying Russia with essential components so it could develop equipment. military.

The specialist in International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), Maria Shagina, recently assured BBC Indeed, “There is evidence that China is the largest exporter of semiconductors to Russia” .

As specified, This is “often done through shell companies”. in Hong Kong and the United Arab Emirates.

“Some Chinese companies They also supply civilian drones, exploiting the gray space between military objectives. and civilians,” added the IISS expert.

For its part, From Beijing, they stressed that they did not sell weapons to Russia and did not support the Kremlin with elements that could be harmful. .

However, a data analysis conducted by the think tank Carnegie Endowment concludes that, Every month, China exports more than $300 million worth of dual-use goods to its territory. .

With this last concept They refer to parts that can be used in commercial and military environments. as explained by the aforementioned media.

But beyond these points, Ties between the two countries are close and have intensified during the war. in Ukraine.

Official data from China shows that By 2023, a year after the invasion began, the trade link with Russia reached $240 billion. .

If we compare this figure to that of 2021 – before the start of the war –, you can see an increase that exceeds 64% .

More in detail, In 2023, Russian imports from China will exceed $110 billion, while exports to Xi Jinping’s country will reach almost $130 billion. of the same currency.

Among the articles that appear the most are Chinese automobiles and spare parts .

On the other hand, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi appreciated that Russia brings gas to its territory .

This element and oil are two of the main assets of the Russian economy, to the point that they represent around half of its income. annual.

And even though the Kremlin’s Western opponents have capped the price of oil distributed by sea, China continued to acquire above this figure .

This, combined with the marketing of other products, helped Russia meet the costs of its military movements in Ukraine, in addition to sanctions of the international community.