China ‘enables’ Russia’s war in Ukraine with tools that can make drones– www.washingtonpost.com

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Excerpt from www.washingtonpost.com

When NATO this month accused China of being a “decisive enabler” of Russia’s war in Ukraine, the bloc wasn’t referring to Chinese tanks, or ammunition, or troops.

The statement instead pointed to Chinese transfers of “dual use” equipment, like sophisticated machine tools, that have been used to make Russian weapons. China’s exports of those machine tools more than doubled last year, according to trade data collated by the United Nations.

One of the companies that has benefited from Russia’s hunger for these goods is a midsize laser machine tool company called Shandong Oree Laser Technology Co. — one of dozens of Chinese companies that the U.S. Treasury Department sanctioned last month.

The Washington Post reviewed company records, videos, advertising materials and other open-source material to sketch a profile of Oree Laser, offering a glimpse into the myriad ways the Russian war effort relies on Chinese industry.