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Chinese military aid to Russia would be major role reversal, analysts say
At the top end, China has developed systems, such as reconnaissance and armed drones, guided weapons and battlefield communications, that might help Russia fill gaps that are being exposed on the Ukraine front.
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Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) and Chinese President Xi Jinping arrive to pose for a photograph during their meeting in Beijing, on February 4, 2022.
(AFP/Alexei Druzhinin / Sputnik )
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or decades Russia has, more than any other country, aided China's dramatic military modernisation with weapons and technology - and now Beijing has plenty that Moscow needs as its Ukraine invasion continues, military analysts say.
At the top end, China has developed systems, such as reconnaissance and armed drones, guided weapons and battlefield communications, that might help Russia fill gaps that are being exposed on the Ukraine front.
Russia might also need more common materiel, such as anti-tank weapons, trucks and ammunition, that China has in storage.
The long-standing military relationship is under international scrutiny after media reports, sourced to US security officials, that Moscow is seeking military aid and support from Beijing. Chinese and Russian officials have denied the reports.
"Recently, the US has been spreading disinformation against China time and again on the Ukraine issue, with sinister intentions," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said on Monday.
Some foreign military analysts and diplomats are sceptical that Beijing would want to be drawn directly into the conflict by such a Russian request.
Analysts also note that some of China's most advanced equipment could not be easily or quickly integrated with Russian's other gear.
