Many suggest that President Trump is trying to drive a wedge between Russia and China.
Among those who doubt that the putative plan can succeed is China watcher Gordon Chang, who says that “China and Russia see the world in the same way and know that they have the same enemy. That’s the United States, in their view.” Although Putin may be willing to sign this or that agreement to gain some advantage, he will freely violate any agreement with the United States whenever doing so is convenient—as he often has in the past, Chang says.
For now, at least, Russia and China are still buddies. China continues to support Russia’s war on Ukraine. Supplying components for Russian weapons is one manifestation of this support.
In May 2023, Ukrainian officials confronted a Chinese envoy “over the surge of Chinese electronics and semiconductors being shipped to Russia during the past year, many of which are ending in the Kremlin’s weapons systems….
“Exports of Chinese semiconductors to Russia, including from Hong Kong, have more than doubled since Vladimir Putin ordered the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. And Ukraine’s military has concluded that at least 15% of the electronics found in Russian arms—including cruise missiles, helicopters, and Iranian-supplied drones—are from China and Hong Kong.”
Ukraine asked China not to let Russia have the chips; this communication was “just the beginning of the dialogue” with Beijing, one Ukrainian official said. It’s safe to assume that no progress in the dialogue has been made since then.
Even non-buddies of Russia are sending it chips somehow or other. Despite sanctions, American microchips still end up in Russian weapons. So do Taiwanese chips.
Domino Theory reported in September 2024 that popular support for Ukraine in Taiwan “and a formal pledge to back Ukraine” have not prevented Taiwanese chip-makers from producing components that help Russia attack Ukraine.
Less than exhaustive compliance with sanctions or export regulations by large American chipmakers like AMD, Intel, and Texas Instruments and their continued business with China means that American-made chips also make their way to Russia.
Also see:
Ryan McBeth: Video: “Chinese GPS Chips in Russian Weapons”
Argues that Chinese-designed chips being found in Russian drones are “allowing them to avoid Ukrainian electronic warfare and jamming.”
