China provides Russia with satellite imagery to help in war against Ukraine – Bloomberg

China has stepped up its support for Russia amid its war against Ukraine, including providing satellite imagery to the Kremlin for strikes on Ukrainian targets.

Source: Bloomberg with reference to sources

Quote: "Amid signs of continued military integration between the two nations, China has provided Russia with satellite imagery for military purposes, as well as microelectronics and machine tools for tanks, according to people familiar with the matter."

Details: One of the sources said that China's support also includes optics, missile propellants and increased space cooperation.

Bloomberg reiterates that Beijing is trying to show itself to be neutral amid Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

However, the publication notes that in 2023, trade between the two countries reached a record US$240 billion. At the same time, Russia has increased its exports of goods such as coal and oil to China.

Quote: "Crucially, China and Hong Kong have also become key gateways for Moscow to access restricted technologies, including chips and integrated circuits, used in weapons or needed to build them. The US and European Union have listed several Chinese firms for enabling those transfers, but the trade shows little sign of dropping off."

Background:

• Allegations have been made that US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has provided alarming details to allies regarding the extent of Chinese-Russian cooperation. Additionally, the US Treasury Department issued a warning that US-based companies which supply the Russian Federation with goods and technologies for the military-industrial complex will face dire consequences.
• Earlier this week, the US State Department warned China against assisting the Russian Federation in the war against Ukraine.
• Officials recently told Politico that China is attempting to persuade Europe to allow Russia to participate in future peace talks, possibly during a peace summit in Geneva. Otherwise, Beijing has threatened to boycott such meetings.
• The officials said this message was reinforced during the European tour by Chinese special envoy Li Hui in early March, when he discussed Ukraine's future.

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