China faces major economic threat as Washington warns 'full sanctions' on table

China has offered Russia a considerable financial lifeline after the start of the war in Ukraine (Image: Getty)

Mike Gallagher warned China's military firms would face the full force of sanctions (Image: Getty)

Russia: Vladimir Putin shakes hands with Xi Jinping

The bill reached Congress days after an intelligence report showed China has been aiding Russia to expand its military capacities across multiple sectors.

One official said: "Russia is undertaking its most ambitious defence expansion since the Soviet era and on a faster timeline than we believed possible early on in this conflict.

"Our view is that one of the most game-changing moves available to us at this time to support Ukraine is to persuade the PRC to stop helping Russia reconstitute its military-industrial base.

Speaking to The Defense Post, they added: "Russia would struggle to sustain its war effort without PRC inputs."

The latest estimates suggest Beijing sourced around 90 percent of the $900 million in machine tools Russia imported in the last quarter of 2023.

The PRC has also proved to be a crucial supplier of microelectronic exports Moscow needs to produce military equipment ranging from missiles to tanks.