After Kuleba’s visit, China tightens controls on military drone exports – Bloomberg
31 July 2024 16:45
China has expanded restrictions on the export of military drones following a visit by Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, reports "Komersant Ukrainian" citing Bloomberg.
Beijing has amended its export control rules on drones intended for military use amid growing criticism from the West over Russia’s support on the battlefield in Ukraine.
On Wednesday, a number of agencies, including the Central Military Commission, added drones with high-precision measurement equipment to the blacklist. The changes modify a list published last year and will take effect on 1 September.
While officials lifted the ban on exports of consumer-grade drones, the Commerce Ministry reiterated its position that civilian equipment should not be used for “proliferation, terrorism or military purposes.”
President Xi Jinping ‘s government issued the directive a few days after Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba visited China for the first time since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Beijing has repeatedly rejected Western criticism of sending Moscow dual-use goods with military applications. Recently, European officials said that Chinese and Russian companies are developing an attack drone similar to the Iranian model used in Ukraine. China has denied the allegations, saying that it has not provided weapons to any party to the Ukrainian conflict and strictly controls the export of dual-use goods.
“[China] opposes the use of drone exports for non-peaceful purposes and opposes individual countries imposing illegal sanctions on Chinese companies and individuals under the pretext of using drones,”
– the Chinese Ministry of Commerce said.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba paid a three-day visit to China on 24-26 July. Read more about this trip in our article: Kuleba’s visit to China: betrayal, victory or the beginning of a long journey?
More news in the Kommersant Ukrainian telegram channel – https://t.me/komersant_ukrainskyi.
