In 2022, total bilateral trade between Russia and China hit a record high of $190 billion, up 30% from 2021.
2023 is set to eclipse that figure, with total trade hitting $134 billion in the first seven months.
They're large enough that they could not continue without the acquiescence of the Chinese government."
The companies involved in the trade tend to be small exporters, Antonia Hmaidi from the Mercator Institute for China Studies told CNBC.
Watch the video above as CNBC investigates China's hidden hand in Russia's war.
Persons:
Mark Cancian, Vladimir Putin's, Antonia Hmaidi, Joseph Webster
Organizations:
U.S . Marine Corps, Center for Strategic, International Studies, Mercator Institute for China Studies, CNBC, Atlantic Council, Communist Party
Locations:
Russia, China, Moscow, Ukraine, Beijing, U.S