Chinese companies continue to supply drone components to Iran and Russia despite US sanctions
Chinese companies continue to supply Iran and Russia with dual-use goods that can be used in the manufacture of drones, despite US sanctions, reports The Wall Street Journal.
These goods include engines, batteries, microchips, fibre-optic cables and gyroscopes. According to Chinese customs data, the shipments consist of hundreds of containers.
Some companies are offering their products openly. In particular, Xiamen Victory Technology sent out letters offering to sell Limbach L550 engines, which are used in Shahed-type drones. These engines are banned from export to Iran and Russia.
Previously, investigations revealed that some components were supplied via intermediaries in China and Hong Kong. They used front companies to conceal the final recipient.
Over time, the production of such components has increasingly taken place directly in China. This makes it more difficult to control their distribution.
Analysts note that drones are made up of readily available parts that easily enter global supply chains. This makes them harder to trace compared to more complex types of weaponry.
According to researchers, the proportion of Chinese-made components in drones used by Iran and Russia is increasing. This is also confirmed by analyses of drone wreckage.
There has also been a rise in exports from China to Russia of fibre-optic cables and lithium-ion batteries.
Beijing officially states that it adheres to its own rules on the control of dual-use goods exports.
The US notes that it is difficult to completely halt such supplies, so it is focusing on restricting the financial resources of Iran and Russia.
