During his visit to Berlin the head of the western military alliance stated that the help of Beijing is vital to the war effort of Moscowas it supports Russia’s military economy by sharing high-tech products like semiconductors.
“Last year, Russia imported 90% of microelectronics from China, which is used to manufacture missiles, tanks and aircraft. China is also working to provide Russia with improved satellite capabilities and imagery,” Stoltenberg said.
“China says it wants good relations with the West. In the mean time Beijing continues to fuel Europe’s biggest armed conflict after World War II. He can’t have both,” he warned.
Stoltenberg warned Western allies not to become as dependent on China as they have been on Russia.
“In the past we made the mistake of becoming dependent on Russian oil and gas,” he said and added: “We must not repeat this mistake with China. Dependence on his money, raw materials, technology – dependence makes us vulnerable.”
China has strengthened trade and military ties with Russia in recent years as the US and its allies have imposed sanctions on both countries, but most notably on Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine.
In 2023 Sino-Russian trade reached a record 240.1 billion dollars, which is 26.3% more than the previous year, according to Chinese customs data. China’s supplies to Russia jumped 46.9% in 2023, while imports from Russia rose 13%.
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