Russia's military receives less Chinese goods as Beijing tightens restrictions.

• Beijing is working to limit its illegal military exports to Russia in an attempt to present itself as an impartial actor in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, according to China's Ministry of Commerce.
• During the BRICS summit in Kazan, Chinese President Xi Jinping assured Russian President Vladimir Putin that their "deep" relationship would remain unchanged, despite the global geopolitical turmoil.
• Beijing has navigated a delicate diplomatic path during the Russia-Ukraine conflict. It has refrained from condemning Russia's invasion of Ukraine, but has also avoided directly supplying Moscow with weapons and ammunition.

Beijing is working to limit its illegal military exports to Russia in an attempt to present itself as an impartial actor in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, according to China's Ministry of Commerce.

During the BRICS summit in Kazan, Russia, Chinese President Xi Jinping assured Russian President Vladimir Putin that their "deep" relationship would remain unchanged despite global geopolitical turbulence.

Beijing has remained neutral in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, neither condemning Russia's invasion of Ukraine nor providing Moscow with direct military support.

The commerce ministry's statement indicates that Chinese leaders are attentive to Western criticism, as it reveals that exports from China are helping to sustain Russia's war economy. Gabriel Wildau, managing director at Teneo, stated that this statement also sends a message to Moscow that Beijing's support is not boundless.

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) issued its strongest condemnation yet in July, urging Beijing to stop supporting Russia's war effort in any way, including providing dual-use items. These are goods or technologies that can be used for both civilian and military purposes.

On Saturday, China announced an export control law for dual-use items that will go into effect on December 1st. This move was prompted by the US imposing sanctions on two Chinese companies accused of aiding Russia in the development of long-range attack drones.

The new regulations will establish a licensing system for the export of dual-use items and create a list of restricted goods, requiring exporters to disclose the ultimate users and intended use of the exported goods.

"In response to the Ukraine crisis, China has made it clear that civilian drones cannot be used for military purposes and has increased its review of export licenses for drones and stepped up inspections of illegal exports, as stated by He Yadong, a spokesperson for the commerce ministry, during a press conference on Thursday."

Although the release of China's new export control law does not specify any particular countries, Xi did not mention the export controls during his trip to Russia, according to official statements.

Claiming a neutral stance

Beijing has urged negotiations to end the conflict in Ukraine, asserting its commitment to multilateralism in contrast to other nations' imposition of tariffs and sanctions.

The commerce ministry spokesperson reiterated opposition to "unilateral sanctions" after speaking Thursday about China's efforts to restrict dual-use exports, claiming that such sanctions have no basis in international law.

He stated that China will strongly protect its lawful rights and interests from any attempts to suppress and penalize Chinese businesses due to their ties with Russia.

The implementation of China's latest export controls for dual-use products is not yet clear.

Russia is likely to be exempted from China's export controls, according to Sari Arho Havren, an associate fellow at Royal United Services Institute covering China's foreign policy. However, Havren advised taking a step back and waiting to see what will follow.

China's new rules maintain the possibility of dual-use products being exported.

The officials emphasized that the rules will not hinder economic and trade cooperation, as well as the global supply chain.

Teneo's Wildau stated that while Washington may view Beijing's recent policy declarations as a positive development, it is ultimately actions that hold greater significance.