China is providing Russia with 5G and satellite technical assistance, a report has revealed, which could give Moscow the upper hand in the war in Ukraine.
Emerging and evolving technologies play a key role in the conflict, with both warring parties scaling up drones and other cyber weapons at an unprecedented rate.
The Royal United Services Institute (Rusi) found that in order to work effectively on the front line, such equipment requires stable connectivity and geospatial support, which China is providing to Russia.
The London-based defense and security think tank said its research showed that China’s cooperation with Russia on 5G and satellite technology “has rich applications (and often has been exploited) on the battlefield, particularly in Ukraine” “.
The report states that 5G “has the potential to reshape the battlefield,” enabling troops to better track military targets, quickly transmit and process large data sets (such as soldier biometrics or high-resolution drone imagery), and enhance capabilities including Communication between driverless vehicles.
Jack Crawford, a research analyst at Rusi and a co-author of the report, said that while cooperation between Russia and China is not guaranteed to be smooth sailing, it “provides opportunities for Russia as its Western partners grapple with war.” War Effort Provides Advantage “How to Support Ukraine”.
“Looking eastward, this cooperation also contributes to China’s 5G and satellite capabilities, which become very important to the West when considering Beijing’s plans for Taiwan,” he told us Ireferring to Western fears that China might invade the self-governing island and eventually “unify” it with the mainland.
“More broadly, Russia’s willingness to work with China, Iran and, most recently, North Korea to sustain its incursions suggests that the rift between these governments and the West has begun to deepen and is becoming increasingly difficult to heal.”
Sino-Russian cooperation has launched 5G networks in 14 locations in Moscow. The advanced technology allows doctors to remotely assist colleagues in performing surgeries in hospitals and coal miners to remotely control dump trucks.
These highly developed capabilities are “exactly what could make Sino-Russian 5G cooperation extremely useful in a wartime situation, thereby posing greater risks to Ukraine,” Rusi said in a report released on Friday. “The widespread deployment of drones and advanced telecommunications equipment is critical on all fronts in Ukraine, from intelligence collection to air strikes.”
Beijing has long denied providing military aid to Moscow, but the two countries have made no secret of their close diplomatic and political ties. Chinese President Xi Jinping is an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin and has previously expressed China’s willingness to expand cooperation with Russia in areas such as trade, energy and technology.
Analysts say China is sending Russia advanced technological equipment in areas such as surveillance, artificial intelligence and computing to support its military.
Crawford said cooperation on satellite technology has helped Russia restore much of the surveillance capabilities it lost when Western satellite companies withdrew from Russia after the invasion of Ukraine.
“In addition, China’s future plans to build monitoring stations in areas near Ukraine will continue to enhance these capabilities,” he added.
“If Western partners continue to cooperate with Ukraine on similar technologies, this will undermine the one-sided advantage that Russia could gain.
“However, it is also important for Western countries to encourage cooperation between Russia and China away from more military applications.”
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