China = Bad or China = Good are both shockingly it turns out oversimplifications.
International organizations, such as the IEA and the Center for Strategic and International Studies, have recently examined Ukraine’s energy reconstruction, covering aspects such as decentralization, solar power, battery storage, financing, and electricity-market reform. However, these reports tell us remarkably little about the sources of the equipment needed for this transition.
In particular, the role of Chinese-made equipment in this shift has received much less attention. According to the IEA, China accounts for around 85 percent of global solar supply-chain production capacity and around 80 percent of lithium-ion battery production capacity. Its share in some specific segments is even higher – for example, China supplies around 95 percent of global PV wafer capacity.
Currently there is no authoritative estimate on the specific share of Chinese-made equipment in Ukraine’s solar and battery markets, not least because some products reach Ukraine through third countries, international procurement channels, and aid programs. Still, given China’s dominance of these supply chains, Chinese-made equipment is likely to have played an important role in Ukraine’s decentralized energy expansion and will probably continue to do so.
Chinese companies are selling products for a profit. The Chinese government then taxes these companies and a portion of that money will aid Russia in various ways.
Which is an unbelievably meager benefit in exchange for singlehandedly and existentially undermining russia’s theory of victory?
It depends on the scale of purchases and the morality of the buyer.
Personally, I’d rather find an alternative then let a penny go towards Russian bombs.