US sanctions two Chinese companies, Russian affiliate over drones for Russia

18/10/2024 6:07

        The United States on
        Thursday sanctioned two Chinese companies and a Russian
        affiliate involved in making and shipping attack drones and
        warned the two countries to halt cooperation boosting the
        Ukraine war effort.
        
        New sanctions target a Chinese company, Xiamen Limbach
        Aircraft Engine Co Ltd, that makes the engine powering Russia's
        Garpiya series long-range unmanned aerial vehicles, the U.S.
        Treasury Department said.
        
        The measures also hit China-based Redlepus Vector Industry
        Shenzhen Co Ltd for its role in the drones' shipment and an
        affiliated Russian person and company.
        
        The drones are believed to have been used against
        
        military and civilian targets
        
        in Ukraine, damaging critical infrastructure and inflicting
        both civilian and military casualties. Reuters was
        
        first to report
        
        last month that the new Russian drones were being made
        using Chinese engines and parts.
        
        "While the United States previously imposed sanctions on
        [People's Republic of China] entities providing critical inputs
        to Russia's military-industrial base, these are the first U.S.
        sanctions imposed on PRC entities directly developing and
        producing complete weapons systems in partnership with Russian
        firms," said State Department spokesman Matthew Miller.
        
        A senior Biden administration official said the actions
        by the Chinese companies were at odds with what the Chinese
        government has said privately about its intentions.
        
        The Chinese embassy spokesperson in Washington, Liu
        Pengyu, repeated China's opposition to sanctions and said it was
        handling the export of military products responsibly.
        
        "The U.S. makes false accusations against China's normal
        trade with Russia, just as it continues to pour unprecedented
        military aid into Ukraine," the spokesperson said. "This is
        (the) typical double standard, and extremely hypocritical and
        irresponsible."
        
        The Chinese companies could not be immediately reached
        out of office hours and the Russian government also could not be
        immediately be reached for comment.
        
        The moves come as deepening cooperation between Russia and
        other countries, including China, has thwarted Washington's
        effort to disable Russia's war effort in Ukraine, which grinds
        on as Moscow's forces advance in the east.
        
        U.S. President Joe Biden is headed to Germany for talks with
        European allies set to include discussion of Ukraine's war
        strategy. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy is pushing a
        "victory plan" that he hopes will end Russia's more than
        2-1/2-year-old invasion.
        
        Biden has sought to ease tensions with China even while
        rebuking its government for supporting Russia.
        
        Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President
        Xi Jinping are expected to meet on the sidelines of the Oct.
        22-24 BRICS summit in Russia, and Washington is watching for
        signs of further cooperation, according to senior Biden
        administration officials.