China has become only exporter of rare metals needed for weapons production to Russia - media. INFOGRAPHICS
After the European Union and the United States imposed sanctions in 2022, China became a monopolist in the market for the supply of sanctioned rare metals to Russia - gallium, stibium, germanium - chemical metals that are essential for the production of weapons, including nuclear ones.
This is stated in the investigation of "Schemes", Censor.NET reports.
As noted, these metals are imported into Russia by state-owned and private companies associated with the Russian military-industrial complex, buying them from Chinese firms with state capital.
The journalists' investigation is based on a leak from Russia's customs databases.
According to the information received, after the sanctions restrictions in 2022, the supply of gallium and germanium from around the world to Russia virtually disappeared, and in 2023, China became a monopolist in this segment.
Critical elements for weapons
Helium, germanium and stibium, which Russia receives from China, are on the list of critical minerals in most countries.
This is the case, for example, in the United States and the European Union. Because of their importance, these rare metals are kept in government reserves to prevent shortages.
In addition to consumer microelectronics, they are also used in the military industry.
In particular, stibium is one of the most important chemical elements in weapons production.
Gallium is also used in the manufacture of nuclear weapons. It is used to improve the alloys of plutonium nuclear bomb claddings and to stabilise plutonium itself.
In addition to nuclear weapons, gallium is also used in military night vision devices.
China becomes the sole supplier on the Russian market
China was one of the main suppliers of these chemical elements to Russia before, but after the introduction of Western sanctions, it captured the Russian market for these metals.
According to Russian customs data obtained by journalists from sources, in 2023, China became the sole supplier of gallium and germanium to Russia and still retains this status.
Stibium is supplied to Russia only from China and the United Arab Emirates, countries that have not joined the sanctions coalition.
Which Chinese firms are behind the supply to Russia
The journalists identified about 20 Chinese companies that exported these metals to Russia and found that a third of them were partially state-owned.
For example, one of the key suppliers of germanium is the Chinese "Yunnan Lincang Xinyuan Germanium Industry", in which a share of ownership belongs to a member of the Chinese Communist Party, Bao Wendong, and the rest of the shares are held by state-owned companies. Its products are purchased by enterprises associated with Russia's "Rostec", including factories that produce optical systems for military equipment.
Another Chinese company that supplies gallium, germanium and stibium is "Vital Technology Group". Its products are purchased by the Russian "Ferrotek Nord", which, in turn, cooperates with "Angstrem", a supplier of microchips to the Russian Ministry of Defence.
In addition, according to the investigators, the Russian Kurchatov Institute, which is engaged in nuclear development, purchases products containing gallium through "Cryotrade Engineering".
The company, as "Schemes" found out, buys gallium from the Chinese "Hynhe Technology Co. Ltd".
Another company is Nanjing Infrated. According to the analytical platform The Wire Screen, this Chinese company is not owned by the state. At the same time, it has been the sole supplier of germanium to one of the companies in the Russian defence sector for at least three years.
Officially, Beijing denies supplying components for Russian military production, but a journalistic investigation revealed links between Chinese state-owned companies and Russian enterprises working for the Russian army.
