The European Union will seek explanations from Beijing following reports that a Chinese company is manufacturing drones used in Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine, a senior EU official stated today.
“We have received intelligence reports indicating the existence of a factory in China producing drones that are being delivered to Russia,” the EU official, who requested anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the topic, told Politico.
The official emphasized that the EU must establish whether Beijing was aware of the company’s activities and whether the production of the drones represents direct collaboration between China and Russia in military equipment manufacturing. “If we confirm the transfer of drones from China to Russia, there will be consequences,” he added, though he declined to specify what those consequences might entail.
These comments, which follow a Reuters report from over a month ago about the drone factory, suggest a hardening stance toward China in the wake of Donald Trump’s reelection as President of the United States.
Chinese drone manufacturing will be a key topic at the upcoming meeting of European foreign ministers in Brussels next week, three EU diplomats confirmed. “Clearly, we will have to take a close look at whether China is moving away from its neutral position on the Ukraine conflict,” one EU diplomat said.
While EU officials and diplomats have not disclosed specific actions under consideration, one option is expanding the list of Chinese companies facing EU sanctions, according to another EU diplomat.
When asked what the EU needs to determine before taking action, the diplomat explained that officials are trying to ascertain if the factory’s production was explicitly intended for Russia, whether the drones have indeed been supplied to Russia, and if Chinese authorities were aware of these operations. “It’s hard to believe this happened without their knowledge,” he added.
