EU comments on efforts to convince China to stop selling dual-use goods to Russia

"China occupies a massive place in global trade anyway. They produce a lot of these goods, some of which are by Chinese manufacturers, and some are manufactured in China by subsidiaries of Western companies," said the EU Special Envoy for Sanctions.

O'Sullivan explained that the EU has already listed some companies in China that were proven to be involved in this circumvention. European Commission President von der Leyen and European Council President Michel raised this issue with the Chinese authorities at the highest level when they held a summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in December last year.

"Our member states have raised this at the head of state level also, President Macron and Chancellor Scholz. So we are actively engaged with China," noted the EU Special Envoy for Sanctions.

At the same time, he reminded us of China's position, noting that the country's authorities do not want to apply EU sanctions and formally state that their companies do not supply military products.

"But these goods, unfortunately, as we know, don't look like military goods but actually have military applications. And this is a conversation we will continue to have with China to encourage them to understand the danger of this trade," O'Sullivan emphasized.

Assistance to Russia from China

China has increased its cooperation with Russia since the start of the full-scale war of aggression against Ukraine. In particular, it sells important technologies and dual-use goods to Russia.

For example, European Commission Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis stated that China supplies Russia with dual-use goods that the aggressors use to produce weapons.

Furthermore, the Associated Press reported that in 2023, about 90% of Russian microelectronics came from China.

Later, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken criticized China's actions regarding the supply of dual-use goods for Russia's defense industry.