New Reports Detail China-Russia Military Cooperation as Commission Updates China-Ukraine Timeline
New Entries Track Reported Cooperation Targeting Starlink, Chinese Military Training in Russia, and Beijing’s Retaliation against EU Sanctions
The U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission (USCC) today released an update to its timeline tracking China’s role in Russia’s war against Ukraine, documenting recent developments in China-Russia military cooperation, Beijing’s response to Western sanctions, and China’s diplomatic positioning on the war.
The latest update highlights new reporting on direct military cooperation between China and Russia related to its efforts in Ukraine. In July, The Economist, citing people briefed on European intelligence, reported that Chinese personnel had been trained in drone and urban combat at a Russian military complex used by Russia’s 8th Army, a force heavily involved in eastern Ukraine. The article also said there have been unconfirmed intelligence reports of Chinese military observers within Russian-occupied Ukraine.
“These reports underscore the growing depth of the China-Russia strategic partnership and its implications for the war in Ukraine,” said Chair Randy Schriver. “China has provided Russia an important economic and technological lifeline throughout the war, and emerging evidence of closer military cooperation raises further questions about how each country is learning from and supporting the other.”
“As General Secretary Xi’s visit to Washington plays out this week, remember there is a direct line between Beijing and the drones and missiles landing in Ukraine,” said Vice Chair Mike Kuiken. “China’s enablement of Russia’s defense industrial base and its war machine is too often treated as a below the fold story. It should be front and center. The drones and missiles that rain down on Ukrainian cities every day are built, in large part, with Chinese made electronics.”
The latest updates also highlight several developments in the China-Russia relationship:
- New reporting points to cooperation on advanced military capabilities. A joint investigation by three media organizations described a Chinese-Russian plan to defeat Starlink, a primary means of communication on the Ukrainian battlefield. Drawing on purportedly leaked documents, the authors also highlighted cooperation on integrated air and missile defense, autonomous loitering munitions, next-generation armored vehicles, and military aviation.
- Additional reporting provided new details about alleged Chinese training of Russian forces. A July Reuters investigation cited European officials as saying training was directly approved by Russia’s defense minister and included a three-week course on radiological, chemical, and biological protection at a military facility in Beijing. China called the allegations “entirely unfounded.”
- Beijing retaliated against the EU over sanctions targeting China-Russia ties. After the EU’s 21st Russia sanctions package targeted 14 mainland Chinese and Hong Kong entities, China responded by placing 14 EU entities on its export-control list, restricting their access to China-origin dual-use goods.
The timeline is available here and will continue to be updated as events unfold.
More than 25 years ago the bipartisan U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission began its work advising Congress on the economic, trade, and national security implications of the U.S.-China relationship, and providing recommendations to Congress for legislative and administrative action. Follow the Commission on LinkedIn and via @USCC_GOV on X/Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
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