'A nation of copiers': China leverages Russian military tech to plan for Taiwan conflict

By Olha Chepil | 2025-05-26

KYIV -- It starts with a package. A bulletproof vest here, a tactical backpack there. Piece by piece, Russian military gear is being funneled into China through seemingly innocuous civilian deliveries. These are not supplies, however, but prototypes for Chinese knockoffs. According to a report in Russia's Izvestia in April, Chinese entrepreneurs and private citizens are smuggling Russian equipment through the postal system -- to study, dissect and replicate.

"[The Chinese] have gained additional direct access to various innovations that exist in Russia today, including drones, upgraded body armor, helmets and upgraded small arms," Ihor Reiterovych, director of political and legal programs at the Ukrainian Center for Social Development, told Kontur, an affiliated outlet of Global Watch.

These imports enable Chinese firms to manufacture cheaper imitations for domestic or commercial use. Among the most popular items: bulletproof vests, tactical backpacks, protective clothing and uniform components.

'A nation of copiers'

Russian equipment gives Chinese manufacturers access to prototypes tested in real combat.

"In other words, they are now simply taking this war experience for their own," Mykhailo Gonchar, president of the Strategy XXI Center for Global Studies, told Kontur.

China is interested not only in the design but also in the materials, assembly methods and ergonomics of the equipment, analysts claim.

Gonchar was blunt: "The Chinese copy everything."

"Whatever they see and consider worthy of attention, they copy. It's a nation of copiers," he said.

The interest extends beyond schematics to materials, ergonomics and even soldier-made field modifications.

"This could even be something that is not initially of great interest, like a fifth strap on a bulletproof vest," Reiterovych explained. "How was it made at the factory, and how was it altered by soldiers on the front lines? Now that's what's interesting."

Access to innovations

Access to Russian military technology is giving China practical design solutions that can be fed directly into its growing defense industry. While cost is a factor, analysts say the practice is strategic and layered, allowing China to accelerate domestic military production, particularly as sanctions restrict access to Western technology.

"They are using this. They export all of this. I think that later they will scale up and use it directly in their armed forces," said Reiterovych.

China sees Russian gear not only as a model for knockoffs but as a source of battlefield-tested designs that can inform its own planning, say observers.

"[The Chinese] are hatching plans for a military campaign against Taiwan, so they will need this too," said Gonchar. "Because in the event of a full-scale conventional war and an invasion of the island, they will suffer colossal losses. Accordingly, this experience is needed."

The largest partner

While China claims neutrality in the war between Russia and Ukraine, analysts say its actions suggest a far more calculated and pragmatic approach. President Xi Jinping's appearance at Moscow's Victory Day parade May 9 is one such signal.

"This is Xi Jinping's attempt to stake out territory, so to speak. That is, it shows ... Russia is our sphere of influence," said Reiterovych.

Under the weight of Western sanctions, China has become Russia's economic lifeline. Trade between the two countries reached record highs in 2024, with Beijing now a leading supplier of dual-use goods, including nitrocellulose, machine tools, microchips and components for first-person-view drones assembled inside Russia, Alexander Kovalenko, a correspondent with InfoResist, told Kontur.

"China is the main sponsor of dual-use products for Russia. This is a fact," said Kovalenko.

Moscow's growing dependence on Beijing is unmistakable, observers find.

"The Russians themselves call China their largest partner, for example, in the drone sector ... Not Iran, but China," Ihor Chalenko, a Ukrainian political scientist, director of the Center for Analysis and Strategies, and member of the National League of Centrists, told Kontur.

"There have been specific cases where Chinese companies are only stepping up cooperation with the Russians, again, in the military-industrial complex."

'Chinese are involved in the war'

On April 11, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that at least several hundred Chinese men were fighting as part of the Russian occupation forces. That month, Ukrainian military personnel in Donetsk province captured two Chinese citizens who had been serving in the Russian army.

"The Ukrainians claim that more than a hundred Chinese are involved in the war against Ukraine. This is the information that our side has," said Chalenko.

"But there could be more of them, many more. So, from China's point of view, of course, the situation is embarrassing."

Despite signs of deeper involvement, China continues to posture as a neutral actor. At a May 12 news briefing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian addressed a proposed 30-day ceasefire and potential negotiations between Kyiv and Moscow.

"We support all efforts for peace. We hope that relevant parties will continue to work for the conclusion of a fair, lasting and binding peace deal that is accepted by all parties concerned through dialogue and negotiation and ultimately realize the political settlement of the Ukraine crisis," Lin said.