I hope China is helping Russia under the table, at least providing drone material as civilian goods. Saying that China cannot afford a Russian loss but stating that China is not supporting Russia materially or financially is not a way to make allies when the eventual US/NATO vs China happens. US/NATO has already drawn the line, constantly stating that China is the primary adversary, but China continues to play its non threatening businessman role.
That’s exactly what’s happening. Here’s an excerpt from an interview with a Russian drone developer:
Well, that’s interesting because if you read the Western press, they often portray China as Russia’s main military ally, like they’re supplying everything needed for the front. Well, there’s China’s official stance and then there’s their unofficial stance. Officially, China says it follows all the sanctions and blocks military related exports. And in some areas, that’s true. For example, we can’t make payments to Chinese sellers using Russian bank cards anymore. A lot of products can’t be directly imported either. There are even decrees that ban the export of motors over 700 watt, which are exactly the kinds used in heavy drones. But then there’s the other side of the coin. We share a long land border with China, and there are countless private companies operating in that space. These companies handle transactions, organize shipments, and move parts across the border. And honestly, when you consider how tightly everything in China is monitored and regulated, it’s hard to believe that the government doesn’t know what’s going on.
I found a YouTube link in your comment. Here are links to the same video on alternative frontends that protect your privacy:
Wang is said to have rejected, however, the accusation that China was materially supporting Russia’s war effort, financially or militarily, insisting that if it was doing so, the conflict would have ended long ago.
Is SCMP “Chinese” news? A cursory search shows it’s owned by Ali Baba, which I guess is Hong Kong based? Since it’s a special administrative region does that mean that there’s more leeway for Ali Baba to allow for news stories that aren’t in China’s interests or nah
It does seem like they tend to have more leeway.