White House should say if Russia shares US arms information with China: Congress

Leaders of a congressional committee on China are calling on the White House to clarify whether Moscow is sharing information with Beijing on how to neutralise US weapons used in the Ukraine war.

In a letter to National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, Representatives John Moolenaar, the Michigan Republican who is the chairman of the House select committee on China, and Raja Krishnamoorthi of Illinois, the panel’s senior Democrat, contend that the Russian military has shown significant effectiveness in undermining several US weapons systems.

Acknowledging that some of the systems are outdated, the legislators contended that even the most advanced weapons sent to help Ukraine defend itself have failed in the field.

They now seek to learn whether this success could be due to information and technology shared by China as part of its “no-limits partnership” with Moscow.

“The PRC has become a ‘decisive enabler’ of the Russian war in Ukraine,” the legislators wrote.

“As one administration official disclosed, the PRC is ‘90 per cent’ of the reason Russia has been able to sustain its war effort and economy, particularly in the face of Western sanctions.”

The representatives accuse Beijing of supplying “significant amounts of microelectronics, dual-use equipment, imagery and other tools to support [Russia’s] war machine”, as well as helping with space technologies and satellites.

They called on the White House to carry out a comprehensive analysis of the exchange of information between Russia and China concerning US weaponry.

They also want an investigation into whether Chinese armed forces may have adapted their combat techniques based on lessons learned by the Russians on the battlefield.

The congressmen also ask how the White House intends to ensure the future effectiveness of US military power against Russia and China, and “hold the PRC accountable for its support of Russian aggression in Ukraine”.

Last week, during its summit in Washington, Nato accused Beijing of supplying “weapon components” and other critical technologies to Russia for its invasion of Ukraine.

The Nato statement, adopted by all 32 heads of state and government of the alliance, contended that Beijing “cannot enable the largest war in Europe in recent history without this negatively impacting its interests and reputation” and left open the possibility of imposing sanctions on China.

“The deepening strategic partnership between Russia and [China] and their mutually reinforcing attempts to undercut and reshape the rules-based international order, are a cause for profound concern,” the statement said.

Beijing has maintained that it has not supplied weapons to Russia and has strictly controlled the export of dual-use equipment that could be repurposed for military use.

In response to the accusations, China urged Nato to “get rid of [their] Cold War mentality and zero-sum approach”, “stop scaremongering on security and making imaginary enemies” and “stop forming exclusive clubs in the name of collective defence”.