The European Union is considering imposing sanctions against China due to the fact that the Chinese side supplied weapons to Russia for use against Ukraine.
EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell briefed EU countries on the intelligence findings ahead of a foreign ministers meeting next Monday and called for consequences, three sources confirmed to the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.
China's aid to Russia in war against Ukraine
The evidence is “compelling” and proves “the provision of lethal support,”, a senior EU diplomat told the newspaper on Friday.
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— We must now look at the entire toolbox, — the diplomat said.
He added that the EU has new lists leading to a ban on doing business with Chinese companies, an asset ban and an entry ban.
However, it is also necessary to talk directly to China and make it understand:
—You have always said that you want to be neutral. You are not neutral,— the source said.
Another source said Europe's reaction would depend on how China reacts to the findings.
The sanctions debate is still at an early stage.
At the same time, FAZ wrote that the sources did not want to go into detail about the intelligence findings.
However, the senior diplomat cited very serious reports from the Reuters news agency. In late September, Reuters exclusively reported that a subsidiary of the Russian state defense company Almaz-Antey, Kupol, had developed and tested a new long-range combat drone in China and wanted to mass-produce it there for use in the war against Ukraine. This was done with the help of Chinese experts.
It is unclear whether this was done with the knowledge of the Chinese government. There is no clear evidence of this, said a senior EU official who is in contact with Chinese authorities on the issue.
— It is hard to imagine that something like this is happening and the Chinese government knows nothing about it, — said an EU official.
It is noted that the US is also considering the possibility of imposing sanctions.
What is known about the Russian weapons that China helped develop
According to the report, the new Russian drone Garpiya-3, or G3 for short, can carry a 50-kilogram explosive device up to 2,000 km away.
Reuters cited two sources from a European intelligence agency and other documents in its article, including correspondence between Kupol and the Russian Defense Ministry, as well as receipts for payment of invoices.
According to the documents, seven military drones, including two G3 types, were delivered from China to Kupol's headquarters in the Russian city of Izhevsk; the delivery date and supplier are not clear from the documents. It is also unknown where exactly the production and research facilities in China are located.
It is noted that Kupol also announced that it could produce a Chinese-designed combat drone called the REM 1 within eight months that could carry a 400 kg explosive payload and could be compared to the US Reaper drone.
There are also plans to set up a joint Russian-Chinese research and development centre in the Kaksgar special economic zone in Xinjiang province.
The EU, NATO and the US expressed alarm at the report in late September.
Chinese authorities were expected to provide clarification, a spokesman for EU top diplomat Borrell said.
If the reports are true, they would prove that China, contrary to its official position, is providing lethal support Russia.
NATO spokesperson called the information “very alarming”.
A US National Security Council spokesman said that while there is no evidence of direct involvement by the Chinese government, it has a responsibility to ensure that companies in China do not supply weapons. Therefore, the US is considering imposing its own sanctions.
