China shipping weapons, body armor to Russia: report

Chinese companies, including at least one linked to the Chinese Communist Party, have been sending assault rifles, drone parts and body armor to Russia, according to a new report.

Data obtained by POLITICO indicates that these shipments to Russia occurred between June and December 2022, just after Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the invasion of Ukraine.

Chinese President Xi Jinping is looking to Afghanistan to broaden China’s growing economic interests. (Photo by Thomas Peter/Reuters)

State-owned defense contractor, China North Industries Group Corporation Ltd shipped CQ-A rifles to Russian company TekhKrim in June 2022, according to customs data. Although these rifles were tagged as “civilian hunting rifles”, they have been reported to be in use by the Chinese paramilitary police.

The data also showed that Chinese companies had sent 12 consignments of drone parts and more than 12 tons of body armor to Russian entities.

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It is unclear from the customs data whether Beijing is sending these items to Russia for the purpose of aiding its war effort in Ukraine, as the equipment could be labeled as “dual-use”.

Fox News Digital has reached out to the US State Department for comments on the latest development.

FILE: Chinese President Xi Jinping, right, and Russian President Vladimir Putin talk to each other during their meeting in Beijing, China February 4, 2022. (Alexei Druzhinin, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

The report follows officials last month who said the US was “convinced” that China was considering providing lethal aid to Russia to support Moscow’s war against Ukraine.

The US and its NATO allies have repeatedly warned that any country – including China – will see swift and severe economic sanctions if they are found to be supporting Russia’s war effort.

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Beijing has struggled to maintain a balance between maintaining constructive relations with the West while condemning the US for “hysterics” as Beijing did over the shooting down of surveillance balloons and over it by providing defensive aid to Ukraine Accused of escalating the war.

Fox News’ Caitlin McFaul contributed to this report.