China is quietly but steadily strengthening its presence in Crimea. More and more Chinese companies in the occupied territories of Ukraine
Beijing is showing an increasingly clear interest in the peninsula annexed by Russia in 2014. Both the annexation and Vladimir Putin's subsequent war in Ukraine appear to have boosted China's ambitions in the region.
Crimean Peninsula PHOTO: Archive
However, Chinese investors' interest in Crimea is not recent. According to the independent Russian publication The Insider, as early as December 2013, a Ukrainian-Chinese project had been signed to build a deep-water port and involve China in the modernization of the fishing port of Sevastopol, in the south of the peninsula.
At the time, some Ukrainian experts believed the partnership was just the first stage of a larger Chinese expansion plan, fueled by interest in Ukraine's agricultural potential. However, Ukrainian protests, the departure of President Viktor Yanukovych and Russia's intervention in Crimea led to the abandonment of the project.
Multiple interests
Between 2014 and 2022, the Russian press repeatedly reported on the willingness of Chinese companies to participate in infrastructure projects in Crimea. However, no such project materialized. The situation seems to have changed with the Russian offensive in Ukraine, which created new opportunities for Beijing.
In November 2023, The Washington Post reported on possible Russian-Chinese discussions regarding the construction of a transport tunnel under the Kerch Strait. Both Moscow and Beijing denied the reports.
Meanwhile, contacts between China and Crimea have intensified, sometimes without Kiev's consent. For example, the Heng Yang 9 ship, under the Panamanian flag but owned by a Chinese company, has been spotted several times in the port of Sevastopol. The Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs protested in this regard to the Chinese authorities.
China remains cautious, avoiding visible direct investment for fear of international sanctions. However, his interest in the peninsula is increasingly evident. Some observers suggest that there may already be forms of discreet cooperation between China and Russia in the Black Sea region.
For now, the Chinese expansion into the occupied Ukrainian territories is not large. However, according to an official from the separatist republic of Luhansk, “China is closely following developments.” In parallel, more and more Chinese companies establish their presence in these territories, developing relationships with local elites.
Beijing's motives are both geopolitical and economic. Crimea is of major strategic importance in the Black Sea region, and southeastern Ukraine can serve as an access point to Eastern Europe. At the same time, about half of Ukraine's rare earth resources are located in areas controlled by Russia.
According to The Insider, this involvement could also represent a test for China in the context of international sanctions. Private companies would assess the risks and opportunities in view of possible future involvement of large Chinese state-backed industrial groups.
