US accuses China of giving ‘very substantial’ help to Russia’s war machine

BRUSSELS — Beijing is giving Moscow “very substantial” help to beef up its war machine, and in return Russia is handing over its closely guarded military tech on submarines and missiles, the United States’ Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell said Tuesday.

Speaking with a group of journalists, including POLITICO, after meetings with European Union and NATO counterparts in Brussels, Campbell upped the ante on Beijing. The U.S. previously focused on Beijing’s supply of what’s known as dual-use technologies — which can be applied for military or civilian purposes.

Now Washington is unambiguously saying that China is aiding the Russian military. With Moscow facing international sanctions, it desperately needs technology to boost its military production to be able to continue its war against Ukraine.

“These are not dual-use capabilities,” Campbell said, referring to the latest materials China is giving Russia. “These are basically being applied directly to the Russian war machine.”

“These are component pieces of a very substantial effort on the part of China to help sustain, build and diversify various elements of the Russian war machine,” he added. “We’re seeing efforts at the highest levels of both governments to try to both hide and protect certain elements of this worrisome collaboration … Most of these activities have been driven underground.”

China has frequently issued statements denying it is supplying Russia with arms to use in Ukraine, insisting it does not provide either side with weapons and has an “impartial position” on the war.

In exchange for Beijing’s help, Russia has started giving China submarine, missile and other sensitive technologies. Historically, Moscow has been wary of giving Beijing its very latest military technology.

“The capabilities that Russia is providing is support in areas where previously they had been frankly reluctant to engage directly with China,” Campbell said. “We are concerned about a particular number of military arenas where there appears to be some determination to provide China with greater support.

“That has to do with submarine operations, activities of aeronautical design, including stealth; that also involves capacities on missile capabilities,” he said.

According to Campbell, the new technologies that Beijing is receiving will pose a danger not just to the U.S., but also to India, Australia, Japan and South Korea “if China was able to receive greater engagement from Russia in perfecting certain military capabilities.”

The new revelation by Campbell came two weeks after U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan undertook his first trip to Beijing and met Chinese President Xi Jinping and other top officials.

U.S. authorities have been ramping up pressure on Europe to more assertively respond to Beijing’s support for Moscow in the Russian war against Ukraine.

“We have made clear of our observation of financial activities and support for some of these efforts,” Campbell said. “We think that Europe can speak out more about its particular concerns and we believe that simply putting certain financial institutions in a mode of being watched more carefully, and making that clear, will have significant consequences.”