Russia-Ukraine war: US intelligence community leaders said China deepened cooperation with Russia despite backlash

The United States intelligence community leaders said that China is deepening its cooperation with Russia despite the international condemnation of Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. The intelligence leaders noted that the cooperation between China and Russia would continue with the aim of challenging Washington even if it limits public support.

In the annual hearing of the Senate Intelligence Committee on global threats to US security, the intelligence leaders said China would further its cooperation with Russia on several aspects in an effort to challenge the United States. The deepened cooperation between Beijing and Moscow comes despite international condemnation of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February last year.

“Despite global backlash over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, China will maintain its diplomatic, defense, economic, and technology cooperation with Russia to continue trying to challenge the United States even as it will limit public support,” said the leaders in a threat assessment to the committee.

“Perhaps, needless to say, the People’s Republic of China which is increasingly challenging the United States economically, technologically, politically, and militarily around the world remains our unparalleled priority,” said Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines. Haines added that China’s ruling Communist Party, in the hopes of fulfilling President Xi Jinping’s vision of making China a major global power, has become “increasingly convinced it can only do so at the expense of US power and influence.”

However, Haines noted that according to the US intelligence assessment, Beijing believes that it benefits from having a stable relationship despite Xi’s criticism of Washington. In a speech on Monday, Xi blamed the West for the country’s economic difficulties, accusing the US of leading an international effort to contain China.

On Tuesday, Belarusian President Alexandr Lukashenko confirmed the damage that was inflicted on a small fleet of Russian A-50U MAINSTAY D airborne early warning and control aircraft that was deployed to Belarus. In the intelligence bulletin of the British defense ministry, the aircraft was likely damaged by an unmanned drone and is expected to have been moved to a repair facility in the Taganrog region of Russia.

The ministry said the aircraft was likely providing Russian fighter jets situational awareness as the jets have been equipped to launch a ballistic missile into Ukraine.