Beijing's Weapons Would Aid Moscow's Effort

"Military supplies from China would provide Russia with a lifeline in its Ukraine effort because of the compatibility of Chinese and Russian weapon systems and Beijing's large military manufacturing base.

U.S. officials say China is considering supplying artillery and drones to the Russian military as Moscow's forces burn through ammunition. China denies it is contemplating such action and has, in turn, pointed a finger at the U.S. and its allies for fueling the conflict by providing Ukraine with weapons.

Any move by Beijing to help the Russian military could have a far-reaching impact, both in China's relations with the West and in Ukraine because of Beijing's capacity to help supply Russia with a pool of materiel, including the artillery shells for which Russian fighting units are calling.

"The main constraint on China's supplying of such ammunition to Russia lies with the political will, not anything practical," said Timothy Heath, a senior international-defense researcher at the Rand Corp., a U.S. think tank.

China also is a major producer of drones, which have been used effectively by both sides in the Ukraine. Trade data shows some commercial Chinese drones already have reached the front lines.

For years, China has been a weapons exporter to conflict-stricken regions around the world, from Africa to the Middle East. If Beijing opts to send weapons to Russia, much of what Moscow wants likely would be found from existing supplies or could be produced relatively quickly, security analysts say.

The reason is partly rooted in the countries' relationship. In the early decades of the Chinese Communist Party's rule, China relied on Soviet military know-how and exports that built the initial backbone of the Chinese People's Liberation Army.

Ties between the countries haven't always been cooperative, but an overlap in their military systems remains. Many Chinese weapons, ranging from small arms to jet fighters and even aircraft carriers, are based on Soviet-era designs. In some cases, China has reverse-engineered Russian weapons, such as missile systems, to create similar items.

Russia provided 81% of China's weapons imports by value during the five years through 2021, according to data compiled by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.

Even as China has developed more-indigenous weapons systems, it has continued to produce equipment descended from the Soviets. Some of the materiel serves the People's Liberation Army, while much of it is destined for international markets. Such trade has helped China's defense industrial base grow rapidly, generating large profits for companies such as China North Industries Group Corp., also known as Norinco.

Norinco is one of three state-owned Chinese companies that rank among the top 10 global arms producers based on sales figures, below U.S. defense contractors such as Lockheed Martin Corp. and Northrop Grumman Corp., according to a 2020 report from SIPRI.

Norinco, a company with more than $60 billion in assets and 200,000 employees, has supplied weapons around the world." [1]

1. World News: Beijing's Weapons Would Aid Moscow's Effort
Gale, Alastair; Spegele, Brian.  Wall Street Journal, Eastern edition; New York, N.Y. [New York, N.Y]. 02 Mar 2023: A.9.