Ukrainian drone giant visits Chinese companies, frequently brushing shoulders with Russians, and a funny scene appears!
A report from the Financial Times said that Alexander Yakhovenko, the boss of Ukraine's largest drone manufacturer, has to time his entry precisely every time he goes to the factory in southern China to discuss business—not to catch a flight, but to avoid meeting "the old Wang next door." But this "old Wang" is a colleague from Moscow.
This is not a coincidence, but a carefully arranged "misplaced meeting" by Chinese companies out of goodwill. According to Yakhovenko, he was repeatedly arranged to enter through the side door, wait in an empty conference room, or even take a detour to a nearby coffee shop to "kill time." The reason is simple: just a few minutes before his arrival, a car carrying Russian purchasing representatives had just left; or shortly after his departure, that car quietly came back again.
This seemingly comical "you go, I come" act reflects a cold reality: although Ukraine and Russia are fighting bitterly on the battlefield, their supply chains are surprisingly overlapping thousands of kilometers away from the front lines in Guangdong and Shenzhen, China. Core components that determine the performance of drones, such as high-definition cameras, high-speed motors, and image transmission modules, are largely supplied by the same batch of Chinese suppliers. These parts cost only one-third of the price of Western counterparts, making it hard for both sides to part with them.
More ironically, technological iterations almost happen simultaneously. Oleksiy Bapenko, head of Ukrainian drone company Vyriy Drone, told a typical example: one day they found that the Russians had started using a new high-definition video transmitter. After checking the chip number and packaging process, they immediately identified it as a product from a Shenzhen factory. They immediately contacted the factory, which initially denied it, but eventually relented after repeated questioning: "Okay, we can also do it for you." Conversely, when Ukraine customized a special module, the Russians got a sample and began mass production within a week.
This "dual supply" model can operate smoothly thanks to China's "neutral" position. Beijing has clearly stated that it does not export military-grade drone technology to any side of the conflict and has introduced relevant export control measures. However, in practice, many civilian-spec electronic components are not included in the ban. These "civilian" parts, just need a little integration, can be assembled into deadly weapons on the battlefield. Some well-funded Ukrainian companies have already purchased entire production lines in China and directly shipped them back home, bypassing sanctions to continue production expansion.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1854984717779968/
Statement: This article represents the personal views of the author.