Putin's Top Propagandist Bemoans Russia's Overreliance on China

A leading Russian media figure and ally of President Vladimir Putin has questioned Russia's growing dependence on China, warning that it leaves the country vulnerable.

Putin's 2022 invasion of Ukraine led to international brands exiting Russia and triggered an unprecedented level of Western sanctions. Moscow's increasingly isolated economy has thus been forced to rely more heavily on Chinese exports—particularly electrical equipment, vehicles, and automotive parts—as well as Chinese purchases of Russian oil and natural gas.

During Sunday's episode of Evening with Vladimir Solovyov, TV host Vladimir Solovyov spoke about the impression he was left with after a recent visit to Russian forces at the front.

More than tanks or personnel carriers, there is a demand for "large quantities of electric scooters, motorbikes, motorcycles, and buggies," he said.

"The question is, which of them do we make domestically? Or is China our motherland now?" he asked. "How much does it cost? When will everyone finally come to their senses? Some say we are oversaturated—with what? We are oversaturated with China."

Waves of Chinese goods produced at below-market prices have prompted protectionist actions by several governments, from the United States and European Union to close Chinese partners like Thailand, amid concerns that Beijing is flooding the market due to domestic oversupply.

Solovyov warned that Russia's ties with its "no-limits" partner China could backfire if their interests diverge.

"What if the Chinese say, 'Pardon, we are going to abide by sanctions, in the financial sector and beyond, and won't supply you with cars and drone parts.' What are we going to do then?" Solovyov asked. "Will we claim that we're all one big Mongolia so they can pretend to ship to Mongolia and it can quietly penetrate the border?"

Russian traders have complained about delayed and even rejected cross-border transactions since the start of 2024 as Chinese banks increasingly seek to skirt Biden administration's secondary sanctions on products that could support the invasion. This trend intensified last month, with Russian media quoting traders as saying 98 percent of Chinese banks were rejecting cross-border transactions in Chinese yuan.

"The sovereignty of our economy is very important," remarked Russian parliamentarian Alexander Babakov, who was a guest on the show. "We should be overjoyed that the Chinese didn't spread everything in our territory, which they are capable of, because they are developing so fast and we are not developing."

Newsweek reached out to the Russian and Chinese foreign ministries with written requests for comment.

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