Beijing has been infiltrating Russia’s automotive industry since the war in Ukraine, as evidenced by the list of domestically produced automobiles that state officials should purchase that was released by the Russian government on Friday. All of the cars were Chinese or Russian brands.

Since manufacturers like Renault and Nissan left the market, Chinese automakers have taken the lead.

Russia has turned away from Western companies, just as the West has done the same.

This year, the tabloid Kommersant revealed that due to worries that Apple iPhones could be intercepted by Western intelligence services, the Kremlin had instructed personnel involved in Russia’s 2024 presidential election preparations to cease using the devices.

According to a Friday statement from the Industry and Trade Ministry, President Vladimir Putin gave the go-ahead for the cars on the list to be prioritised for official usage by state and local employees.

“To date, domestic companies have already produced a wide range of models with various technical characteristics and equipment (six brands and more than 20 models) that are able to meet the needs of various levels of official,” the ministry said.

It further stated that, in accordance with special investment agreements with the government, all automakers have agreed to increasing manufacturing localization.

The Russian automobiles on the list included the UAZ, Aurus, and Moskvich brands, Evolute electric vehicles, and five Lada models made by Avtovaz, the country’s biggest automaker.

The restored Soviet-era vehicle known as the Moskvich is a symbol of China’s increasing influence over Russia’s automotive sector. According to sources, the Moskvich 3 model is a JAC Sehol X4 that was put together in Moscow using kits that were acquired from a Chinese supplier.

The Chinese automaker Haval, which has been making vehicles at its facility in the Tula region, 200 kilometres from Moscow, since 2019, was listed with five models.

There were no comments available from Haval.

(Adapted from USNews.com)

Categories: Economy & Finance, Geopolitics, Strategy