Taiwan has develop into the world’s greatest importer of Russian naphtha, a petroleum spinoff used to make chemical compounds wanted for the semiconductor business, even supposing it has joined different sanctions towards Russia and considers itself an ally of Ukraine.
Within the first half of 2025, Taiwan imported $1.3bn value of Russian naphtha, and common month-to-month imports reached a stage almost six occasions increased than the 2022 common, in response to a report printed on Wednesday. In comparison with the primary half of 2024, Taiwan’s naphtha imports this yr elevated by 44%.
Taiwan has elsewhere been reiterating its assist for Ukraine within the conflict with Russia. On Sunday, Taiwan’s international minister, Lin Chia-lung, signed a pact in Poland to supply assist for kids in Ukraine affected by Russia’s invasion.
After Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Taiwan joined international sanctions towards Moscow. It has additionally imposed export controls to forestall the island’s hi-tech tools from being utilized by Russia’s navy.
However Moscow’s means to proceed with the conflict is funded partly by power exports, with billions of {dollars} coming from Taiwan.
Since February 2022, Taiwan has imported 6.8m tonnes of Russian naphtha, value $4.9bn, which is the same as 20% of Russia’s complete exports of the petroleum product.
The US president, Donald Trump, has urged countries to stop buying Russian oil.
The findings come from a report printed on Wednesday by the Centre for Analysis on Power and Clear Air, a Finnish thinktank, in collaboration with a consortium of European, Russian and Taiwanese NGOs.
Naphtha is a crude oil product that’s used to make chemical compounds required for manufacturing semiconductors, digital parts which are the spine of Taiwan’s economic system and that are very important for international business.
Regardless of becoming a member of different sanctions towards Russia, Taiwan, which is overwhelmingly reliant on imports for its power wants, has not imposed restrictions on purchases of Russian fossil fuels.
Joseph Webster, a senior fellow on the Atlantic Council, mentioned that income from Taiwan’s purchases of Russian naphtha “aren’t immaterial to the Kremlin’s revenues.”.
Taiwan imports about 97% of its power, a incontrovertible fact that consultants have highlighted as a key vulnerability within the occasion of a battle with China. It’s a self-governing democracy however China claims it as a part of its territory and has not dominated out using pressure to annex the island.
Many analysts have drawn comparisons between Russia’s designs on Ukraine and China’s plans for Taiwan. The battle is carefully watched in Taiwan and has spurred an interest in civil defence training programmes. There’s a concern that China’s assist for Russia throughout the conflict in Ukraine might be reciprocated by Moscow within the occasion of a Chinese language battle with Taiwan.
However some analysts mentioned that Taiwan’s purchases of Russian oil shouldn’t be over-interpreted. “This seems like opportunism by Taiwan’s petrochemical business,” mentioned John Lough, the pinnacle of international coverage on the New Eurasian Methods Centre. Lough mentioned that even when the cash from Taiwan helped to fill the Kremlin’s coffers, “it’s a stretch to assume that [Russia] will probably be keen or capable of present navy assist to China within the occasion of elevated Chinese language stress on Taiwan”.
Webster mentioned: “Whereas Moscow and Beijing search to soak up Ukraine and Taiwan, respectively, the 2 authoritarian powers are making use of totally different approaches alongside totally different timelines. Moscow’s unlawful invasion was a determined try to halt Ukraine’s western orientation, however Beijing is way more affected person and believes time is on its facet.”
Hsin Hsuan Solar, a director on the Environmental Rights Basis and co-author of the report, mentioned: “Taiwan can not afford to disregard the dangers created by its rising dependence on Russian fossil gas”. Solar mentioned that the reliance “undermines Taiwan’s credibility with democratic allies”.
