BERLIN (Reuters) – China must stop supporting Russia in its war against Ukraine if it wants to maintain good relations with the West, NATO’s secretary general said on Thursday.
During a visit to Berlin, Jens Stoltenberg said Beijing’s help was crucial to the Russian war effort, through the sharing of cutting-edge technologies.
“Last year, Russia imported 90% of its microelectronics from China, used to make missiles, tanks and planes,” the Atlantic Alliance secretary general said, adding that Beijing was also helping Moscow improve its capabilities in the field of satellites.
“China says it wants good relations with the West. At the same time, Beijing continues to fuel the biggest armed conflict in Europe since the Second World War. It cannot have everything at the same time,” warned Jens Stoltenberg.
Trade between China and Russia hit a record $240.1 billion (€223 billion) last year, up 26.3% from 2022, Chinese customs data shows . Chinese exports to Russia climbed 46.9% in 2023 and imports from Russia increased 13%.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, who signed a “limitless” partnership with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in February 2022, less than three weeks before the invasion of Ukraine by the Russian army, confirmed on Thursday his intention to go to China next month. This will be his first trip abroad since his re-election last March.
(Sabine Siebold, Jean-Stéphane Brosse for the French version)
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