China has forged close ties with Russia since its invasion of Ukraine, but has repeatedly denied providing weapons.
The U.S. Treasury announced sanctions against Chinese manufacturers of drone engines and parts that President Joe Biden’s administration says directly supported Russia’s long-range attacks in the Ukraine war.
The sanctions, issued Thursday, target three entities and one individual for their involvement in the development and production of Russia’s Galpiya series of long-range attack drones.
“Galpiya was used by Russia in its war against Ukraine, destroying critical infrastructure and causing numerous casualties,” the Treasury Department said in a statement announcing the move.
“Designed and developed by experts based in the People’s Republic of China (PRC), Galpiya worked with Russian defense companies to target China before transferring the drone to Russia for use against Ukraine. Produced at the base factory.
Russia has recently used long-range drone strikes to penetrate Ukraine’s air defenses, wreaking havoc across the country, including a missile strike in the city of Poltava that killed 55 people and injured 328 others. .
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has called on the United States to allow his country’s military to use long-range weapons to strike deep into Russian territory.
China’s “direct” role
The United States had previously accused China of providing material support to Russia to sustain the war against Ukraine. Biden administration officials who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity said the latest sanctions seek to target “direct activities” between Beijing and Moscow.
These are the first U.S. sanctions imposed on a Chinese company that directly develops and produces complete weapons systems in partnership with a Russian company, U.S. officials said.
“Russia is increasingly dependent on the expertise of foreign experts and the import of advanced technology to sustain its weapons program and advance its military operations against Ukraine,” said Treasury Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence. Deputy Bradley T. Smith said in a statement. “We will continue to disrupt the networks that enable Russia to acquire and use these advanced weapons.”
China has forged close ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin since its 2022 invasion of Ukraine, but has repeatedly denied supplying arms to Russia. Chinese officials have defended China’s trade with Russia as normal and above standards.
The United States has imposed a series of sanctions against groups and individuals who have accused Russia of cooperating in the war. This year, it sanctioned more than 300 individuals and companies from China, South Africa, the United Arab Emirates, and Türkiye.
White House national security spokesman John Kirby said at the time that the United States would “confront China’s non-market policies that have harmful global ramifications.”
Last month, China imposed its own sanctions on U.S. defense companies over sales of military equipment to Taiwan. Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Lin Jian said at the time that US arms sales to “China’s Taiwan region” “seriously violates the one-China principle and … infringes on China’s sovereignty and security interests.” “It has caused damage to China-US relations,” he said.