China powers global drone wars with dual-use exports — SkimNews
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- China supplies fiber-optic drones and dual-use components like microchips, batteries, and 5G tech to Russia, helping sustain its war effort after Ukraine destroyed Russia’s only fiber-optic plant in 2025
- Russian forces use Chinese-made light armored vehicles from Shaanxi Baoji Special Vehicle Manufacturing Co., Ltd. and all-terrain vehicles from Shandong Odes Industry Co., Ltd. in combat operations
- Chinese companies provided up to 90% of Russia’s metalworking machine tools in 2023, according to the Jamestown Foundation, enabling domestic weapons production under sanctions
- The Houthis received roughly 35% of their intercepted military items from China between 2021 and 2025, a sevenfold increase from the prior period, including motor parts and solid-propellant materials for ballistic missiles
- U.S. Treasury Department sanctioned Shenzhen Jinghon Electronics, Shenzhen Boyu Imports and Exports, and Shenzhen Rion Technology in 2024 for supplying Houthi drone and missile development networks
- Chinese-made components appear in over 1,900 U.S. military platforms, according to defense analytics firm Govini, revealing mutual dependency despite strategic competition
Why it matters: China’s industrial base now underpins military capabilities across multiple conflict zones, giving Beijing indirect leverage over warring parties while complicating U.S. efforts to isolate adversaries through sanctions. With $27 billion in machinery exports to Russia alone by 2024, the scale of China’s role reveals a structural shift in global arms supply chains that traditional export metrics fail to capture.
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