Three years after the annexation of Crimea: China exploit the situation for military expansion

In March 2014, Russia unilaterally annexed the Crimea. Since then it has been almost three years. In connection with the military confrontation between Russia and Ukraine broke off relations in the sphere of defense industry. The financial situation in both countries has also deteriorated. The current situation is the China. Due to the strengthening purchasing power, economic growth in recent years, China actively buying in both countries, advanced weapons and advanced military technology.

Russia was under Western economic sanctions in connection with the Ukrainian crisis, therefore, sought to find a way into the Chinese market. “Previously, Russia has restricted exports because of military threat and copying technologies, however, after the Ukrainian crisis broke out, it has revised its view of China as a potential market”, — said the head of the programme “Russia in Asia – Pacific,” Carnegie Moscow center Alexander Gabuev. “Ukraine has lost the Russian market, so I found a replacement export in face of China”, — said the Ukrainian military expert Igor fedyk.

After 2014, Russia and China have signed a major contract to export the latest SU-35 and anti-aircraft missile systems s-400. The contracts were signed in 2015. The magnitude of each of them is approximately two billion dollars.

According to Russian media, the transmission of SU-35 began in December last year. China had sent four aircraft. Within three years it will be sold 24 fighter. It is also reported that it has begun the production of SAM s-400 for China. Experts believe that these two contracts will boost military-technical level of China.

Since in accordance with the contract for the supply of SU-35 to China will also be sent a large quantity of spare motors, there is a possibility that he will use them for fighters of its own production as well as the possibility of China in the field of sustainable manufacturing engines for military aircraft is limited.

In turn, the world leader in the production of aircraft engines, the Ukrainian company “Motor Sich”, and is strengthening ties with Chinese enterprises. According to Chinese media, the military expert, staying in close contact with the people’s liberation army, said that China took a step forward thanks to close cooperation with Ukraine in the field of technology related to the production of aircraft engines.

This allowed China to increase the reliability of the engines of local production.

In addition, last year the Ukrainian company “Antonov” and another Chinese company agreed on joint production of the world’s largest transport aircraft An-225, which is Ukraine only in one instance. Experts believe that China will use its space program, both civilian and in the military sphere.

In 1998 China purchased from Ukraine aircraft carrier, modernized it and in 2012 put into service under the name “Liaoning”. This is the first Chinese aircraft carrier. “After the collapse of the Soviet Union, China has absorbed the Ukrainian military technology, and he is now in the final stages of development”, — said the expert of the Center for analysis of strategies and technologies Vasily Kashin.

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