The Russian government published a list of domestically produced cars that state officials should gain on Friday, all of which were Russian or Chinese brands, emphasizing Beijing’s infiltration of Russia’s automobile industry since the Ukraine war.
Following the departure of manufacturers like Renault and Nissan, Chinese automakers have taken market dominance. As the West avoids Russia, Russia avoids Western enterprises.
The Kommersant newspaper reported this year that the Kremlin had instructed officials involved in the preparations for Russia’s presidential election in 2024 to not use Apple iPhones because of concerns that the devices are vulnerable to Western intelligence services.
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 prioritized for official usage by state and local employees.
The Moskvich, a resurrected Soviet-era automobile, exemplifies China’s expanding dominance in Russia’s auto industry. According to Reuters, the Moskvich 3 model is a JAC Sehol X4 built in Moscow from kits got from a Chinese supplier.
Five models of Chinese automaker Haval, which has been making cars at its Tula plant, 200 km from Moscow, since 2019. Haval did not reply immediately to a request for comment.
