Billions in Chinese Dual-Use Exports Help Russia Rebuild Its Arsenal
As Russia grows increasingly isolated after its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, China has emerged as a crucial supplier of dual-use goods that directly sustain Moscow’s war machine.
In an article for The Gaze, communications specialist and United Ukraine Think Tank expert Volodymyr Kuznetsov highlights that this support is neither accidental nor fragmented, but part of a structured system of logistics, financing, and technological exchange.
According to the Mercator Institute for China Studies (MERICS), Beijing exported more than $4 billion worth of dual-use items to Russia in 2024, averaging $300 million per month and peaking at $600 million in December.
The range of dual-use goods spans from microelectronics and navigation systems to chemical components and nitrocellulose, essential for ammunition.
Some of these products are of Chinese origin, while others are Western-made but routed through Chinese intermediaries. A Reuters investigation revealed that Russia’s Biysk Oleum Factory, which manufactures TNT and RDX explosives, obtained Siemens equipment via Chinese companies Huizhou Funn Tek and New Source Automation.
Despite its rhetoric of neutrality, Beijing deliberately acts as Russia’s technological rear guard, Kuznetsov argues. NATO analysts have described China as a “decisive enabler” of Moscow’s war. In June 2024, the G7 publicly accused Beijing of aiding Russia’s military machine, calling it a direct threat to global security.
“Time is working in Russia’s favor. Every month without an adequate response allows Moscow to restore lost production capacities and modernize its weaponry,” the expert emphasized.
Kuznetsov stresses that only a coordinated international response can counter this shadow trade. He outlines key steps: extending sanctions to cover entire supply chains, creating a global registry of firms and vessels involved, tightening export verification under the Trade and Technology Council, and boosting Ukraine’s own technological capacity to track Chinese components on the battlefield.
Read the full analysis by Volodymyr Kuznetsov on The Gaze: Why does China increase the supply of dual-use goods to Russia?