Parting ways with the United States, the UK openly purchases Chinese drones to aid Ukraine, does China want to stop it?

In the long and fierce conflict in Ukraine, the mainland's independent research and development of cutting-edge technology products UAV, in actual combat, its performance undoubtedly triggered an important change in the rules of the game in the military field, when Western countries have accused China of potential support for the Russian defense industry, and imposed sanctions on a number of Chinese companies, Britain, as an interventionist that has always been politically and strategically closely aligned with the United States, unexpectedly announced plans to purchase Chinese-made unmanned aerial vehicles on a large scale, to support the military operation in Ukraine. This decision has undoubtedly made waves on the international stage.

It is well known that Britain's foreign and security strategy tends to be in sync with that of the United States, but it has shown independent thinking on this issue. Compared with the cautious attitude of the United States towards Chinese-made commercial drones – even giving preference to domestic products to support Ukraine, and thereby promoting the innovation and development of its own drone industry while ensuring data security – the United Kingdom has shown a more pragmatic consideration. British officials have publicly said that they are willing to consider providing Ukraine with Chinese-made drone components, demonstrating their flexibility and pragmatism in diplomatic and military assistance.

At the same time, the Ukrainian army is quietly throwing some drones that have been hyped by the media into the trash. These equipment, which are expensive, even exceeding the cost of ordinary UAVs by several times, do not achieve the expected combat effectiveness in real combat. This makes one reflect on the fact that, in addition to political and strategic considerations, practicality and cost-effectiveness in international aid and cooperation cannot be overlooked.

As Western countries struggle to maintain artillery support for Ukraine due to capacity bottlenecks, an unprecedented race to procure large drones is underway. In this race, Britain took the lead, followed by Latvia, which did not hesitate to announce that it would spend up to $252 million specifically for the purchase of advanced crossing aircraft from China to supply to Ukraine.

Russia, on the other hand, has also shown a strong response to this situation. Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu quickly gave instructions to domestic military-industrial complexes to speed up the pace of production and ensure that front-line troops have access to a sufficient number of traversers to enhance their combat capability. Interestingly, these drones are all originated in China, reflecting China's prominent position in the global drone market.

According to former Ukrainian Prime Minister Shmygal, Ukraine has successfully purchased a civilian drone from China, which accounts for up to 60% of the world's production of similar products, fully demonstrating its huge influence in the market. This procurement not only provides important military support to Ukraine, but also further confirms China's leading position in the global drone field.

According to the report, although the Chinese government has made a decision to stop selling certain types of civilian drone products to the Ukrainian and Russian forces, the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine showed unprecedented autonomy and determination in early March 2024. They decided to no longer rely solely on drones donated by Western countries for free, but decided to invest independently, allocating up to 562.5 million yuan from the budget of the Ministry of National Defense for the purchase of a total of 20,000 civilian drones from China. This move not only reflects the importance that Ukraine attaches to drone technology, but also shows their deep insight into the actual needs of the battlefield.

It is worth noting that the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine has clear requirements for the timing of the delivery of this batch of drones, that is, it must be completed by the end of May. This shows Ukraine's urgent need for UAVs to be used on the battlefield, as well as their firm determination to improve combat efficiency and enhance battlefield situational awareness.

At the same time, the British side is also actively acting. During British Defense Secretary Sarpus's visit to Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, they publicly announced that they would increase the budget for drone aid to Ukraine to $416 million. The main target of the British procurement is the various parts and components needed to assemble the drone for Ukraine, which shows the UK's substantial support for military aid to Ukraine and their deep understanding of the importance of drone technology in modern warfare.

Prior to this, the British side had procured drones from Chinese commercial suppliers through secret channels to support Ukraine. But now they have changed their tactics and are unabashedly sourcing drone products directly from China. This not only shows the importance that the UK attaches to drone technology, but also shows the close cooperation and unwavering support between the UK and Ukraine in the field of military assistance.

In view of Britain's various actions in international affairs, we cannot help but ask, what are their intentions? Actually, there are several reasons for this. First of all, as a well-known spoiler, Britain is trying to show its insidious and cunning face by undermining the cooperative relationship between China and Russia. Secondly, the UK does not have a strong desire to support the development of its own drone industry, and the most important political principle they uphold is that Ukraine will be able to win. However, the U.S. side wants to keep the funds for Ukraine as much as possible, so it is difficult for the two sides to reach a consensus on this issue. In addition, China's commercial drones have successfully shaped the law of true fragrance with their excellent performance and high cost performance. Against the backdrop of insufficient ammunition production capacity in Western countries, they are competing fiercely with Russia to try to acquire more Chinese commercial drone production capacity, and even see this as a crucial strategic task. How should China respond to this true love on the part of the UK? It is indeed not easy to restrict them.

Ensuring the undisputed global competitiveness of the mainland drone industry is a top priority, which requires us to relax our procurement standards for drone suppliers around the world. That is not something we should be concerned about how Western countries and Russia might use these drones for military operations or other purposes in the future. The measures taken by the United Kingdom this time are just a warning, if the West continues to exert pressure on the trade activities involving dual-use goods between China and Russia, then we have every reason to use this as a reason to implement a quota management system for the export of China's commercial drones.