“PRC companies are providing Russia with significant quantities of machine tools, microelectronics, optics, UAV and cruise-missile technology, and nitrocellulose, which Russia uses to make propellant for weapons.
“These materials are filling critical gaps in Russia’s defence industrial base, which had otherwise suffered significant setbacks due to our sanctions and export controls.”
The provision of nitrocellulose has come up repeatedly in discussions among Washington policymakers about what constitutes the provision of lethal aid to Russia.
In response, Haines said: “There was a lot of focus on China not providing lethal support and what they have done is to try to avoid what is characterised as lethal support – in other words, a fully constructed gun or weapon system.”
“But what has happened in the meantime is they provided effectively dual-use materials such as nitrocellulose, [and] a whole series of critically important long poles in the tent for Russia’s reconstitution of the defence industry.”
At a joint press conference with Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on Tuesday, Blinken said: “We’re looking at countries that are supporting Russia’s defence industrial base, which is allowing Russia to continue the war, including China’s”.
“President Biden has made clear that we have a real concern, not with weapons being supplied by China to Russia,” Blinken added. “That’s not what they’re doing.”
“But what they are doing … is providing critical support to Russia’s defence industrial base.”
Washington’s top diplomat said 70 per cent of the machine tools and 90 per cent of the microelectronics imported by Russia now are coming via China.
“That has enabled Russia to keep their defence industrial base going to keep the war machine going to keep the war going,” Blinken said. “So that has to stop.”