A Chinese agency's purchase of signal jammers and other products for Russia raises concerns
Last month, a Chinese trade agency publicly sought to purchase drone signal jammers for Russian buyers, sparking widespread international concern. The move has raised concerns in the United States and Europe about China's supply of dual-use technology.
China's Guangdong Provincial Trade Promotion Association for Russia, established last year to promote trade with Russia, issued a procurement notice listing equipment including drone jammer devices, detectors and communication band signal jammers. The equipment mentioned in the notice includes products from well-known brands such as BorisTone, Assel Labs and Bulat, highlighting the need for drone detectors with a local manufacturing background, which have been used in Russia's conflict with Ukraine.
The United States has been wary of China providing dual-use technology to Russia, believing that this could support Russian President Vladimir Putin's military operations.
China plays a key role in the global drone supply chain, and Shenzhen-based DJI Innovations is the world's leading commercial drone manufacturer. The U.S. Treasury Department imposed sanctions last month on two Chinese companies, Wuhan Global Sensing Technology Co., Ltd. and Wuhan Tongsheng Technology Co., Ltd., accusing them of assisting Russia. At the same time, Shenzhen-based Juhang Aviation Co., Ltd. was also sanctioned for producing drone-related equipment, including propellers, signal jammer devices, sensors and engines.
Outcome: Announcement withdrawn
The Guangdong Provincial Russian Trade Promotion Association posted a procurement post on its WeChat official account listing the demand for drone detection equipment, but the announcement was quickly removed. A member of the association explained to the Financial Times that the announcement was a mistake and was therefore deleted.
Despite the Chinese government's statement that it would not provide Russia with lethal weapons, it still imposes controls on the export of a variety of drones and their components.
Summary
The incident further exacerbated international concerns about China-Russia military cooperation and triggered widespread discussion on China's role in the global military technology supply chain. As China-Russia economic relations deepen, how to balance trade and international security will become an important issue for the international community in the future.