China using Russia to ‘technologically rearm’ the Chinese military – ex-Ukrainian FM
Li Shangfu's meeting with Vladimir Putin, April 16, 2023 (Photo:Sputnik/Pavel Bednyakov/Pool via REUTERS)
China wants to “lay its hands” on the military technologies that are still left in Russia, former Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin said in an interview with Radio NV on April 18.
The Ukrainian official commented on the recent meeting between Chinese Defense Minister General Li Shangfu and Russian dictator Vladimir Putin in Moscow.
Klimkin also sees the meeting as evidence that China will continue to use weakened Russia in the confrontation with the United States.
“I don’t think that this visit will lead to any breakthrough decisions in the supply of lethal weapons to Russia,” he said.
“A few days ago, the Chinese deliberately made it clear through the foreign minister that they would supply weapons neither to us nor to Russia.”
Klimkin did not rule out negotiations between the Chinese and the Russians on the supply of dual-purpose goods to Russia.
“This, of course, is critical for Russia, since the Russian military and industrial complex cannot work effectively without Chinese components – especially [electronic] chips, and other components,” the former minister said.
He believes that the Chinese will continue to use Russia without crossing any of the red lines set by the West.
Klimkin pointed out that Shangfu “will actually be responsible for the technological rearmament of the Chinese army” and “is not so much a strategist, I mean a military strategist, but a person who strategically sees the technical reboot of the Chinese army, the Chinese security sector.”
“I think this visit is also in some sense the result of the contact between (Chinese President) Xi (Jinping) and Putin that took place in Moscow,” the official said.
“So, I wouldn’t be inclined to underestimate him. One thing is the direct supply of weapons, and we haven’t seen them so far. Another thing is the possibility of cooperation in various technological areas.”
Shangfu and Putin met in Moscow on April 16.
During the meeting, Putin claimed that the Russian and Chinese defense agencies regularly exchange “useful information” and work closely together in the “fields of military and technical cooperation.”
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