Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Dmytro Razumkov met with Ambassador of the Republic of China to Ukraine Fan Xianzhuan on Tuesday, the press service of the Rada apparatus said.
During the meeting, the sides reportedly paid attention to the discussion of economic cooperation between the two countries. Razumkov stressed that Ukraine invariably supports the position of comprehensively deepening relations with China.
“Few countries can boast of economic growth in the past year. China’s economy was the first to be hit by the coronavirus, but you have successfully passed this challenge,” the speaker said. He also thanked China for its assistance to Ukraine in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ukraine’s Ambassador to the People’s Republic of China Serhiy Kamyshev has died, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said.
“Sad news… Ukraine’s Ambassador to the People’s Republic of China Serhiy Kamyshev has died at the age of 64. A well-known professional, he made an outstanding contribution to the development of Ukraine’s relations with the countries of Asia and the Middle East in the many years of his diplomatic work. Cherished memory and sincere condolences to his loved ones,” Kuleba said on Twitter on Sunday evening.
China opposes unilateral sanctions by foreign governments on Chinese enterprises and hopes that Ukraine will protect the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese enterprises and investors, said Wang Wenbin, spokesman for the PRC Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
“China as always opposes unilateral sanctions on Chinese enterprises by foreign governments. In the meantime, we ask Chinese enterprises to abide by laws when doing business overseas. We hope the Ukrainian side will uphold the legal rights and interests of Chinese enterprises and investors,” he said a press conference on Monday, the MFA’s website reports.
At the same time, the Internet edition of ZN.UA reported that on Monday the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine received a note from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the PRC, in which it expressed concern over the actions of Ukrainian authorities against Chinese investors in Motor Sich, in particular the use of sanctions against Chinese companies and their management.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky, by decision of the National Security and Defense Council (NSDC), on January 29 imposed sanctions on Chinese citizen Wang Jing and related Beijing Xinwei Technology Group Co., Ltd; Beijing Skyrizon Aviation Industry Investment Co., Ltd (both are based in Beijing); Skyrizon Aircraft Holdings Limited (British Virgin Islands) and Hong Kong Skyrizon Holdings Limited (Hong Kong), which in recent years have been trying to implement the rights of PJSC Motor Sich shareholders, who are placed on the sanctions list of Ukraine.
According to the decision of the NSDC and Zelensky decree No. 29 dated January 28, 2021, the sanctions imposed for three years provide, in particular, the blocking of assets, restriction of trade operations, partial or complete cessation of the transit of resources, flights and transportation across the territory of Ukraine. Other restrictions include preventing the withdrawal of capital from Ukraine, a complete ban on transactions with securities of which they are issuers, and a ban on the purchase of enterprises in Ukraine. The list of sanctions also includes a ban on increasing the size of the charter capital of business entities in which sub-sanctioned persons own 10% or more, and cancellation of official visits, meetings, negotiations on the conclusion of contracts or agreements.
John Bolton, who at the time was National Security Advisor to then President Donald Trump, spoke about concerns of the United States about the sale of Motor Sich to Chinese owners during a visit to Kyiv at the end of August 2019. At the end of 2019, Chargé d’Affaires of the United States in Ukraine William Taylor said that the United States is counting on a new deal to attract an American or other investor to Motor Sich so that the enterprise is not sold to the Chinese buyer. According to Interfax-Ukraine, this issue was also raised during the visit of U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun to Ukraine at the end of August 2020.
In addition, the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) of the U.S. Department of Commerce early January 2021 put the Chinese company Skyrizon on the Military End-User (MEU) List, cooperation with which requires additional permits. Chinese state-owned company Skyrizon has also been added to the economic blacklist, due to its desire to acquire and indigenize foreign military technology, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross said.
PJSC Motor Sich is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of engines for aviation equipment, as well as industrial gas turbine units. It supplies products to more than 100 countries around the world.
Ukraine has started preparations for negotiations on new agreements on a free trade area (FTA) with Egypt, Jordan, Indonesia and China, Minister of Economic Development, Trade and Agriculture Ihor Petrashko has said.
“Preparations are underway for negotiations on an FTA with Egypt, Jordan, Indonesia and China,” he said during a press conference in Kyiv on Tuesday.
He also said Ukraine has started negotiations with the EU on revising the Association Agreement.
Petrashko said the additional capitalization of the Export Credit Agency (ECA) to UAH 2 billion, which is provided by the 2021 national budget, will strengthen Ukraine’s export positions
Ukraine is holding negotiations with China on the delivery of a coronavirus vaccine, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said.
“[China says] that they stand ready to supply it. The Health Ministry has concrete information, and we are helping them now in order to facilitate certain contacts between representatives of the Health Ministry and representatives of the [vaccine] producer,” Kuleba told the Ukraine 24 TV channel on Thursday.
The Interdepartmental Commission on International Trade (ICMT) has completed a review of antidumping measures regarding the import of seamless stainless steel pipes to Ukraine from China, extending their effect for another five years.
According to a report in the Uriadovy Kurier newspaper published on December 19 of this year, the measures were revised in connection with their expiration.
Based on the results of the revision, the ICMT found that the level of anti-dumping measures applied was sufficient to prevent dumping of imports and causing damage to the national producer; the position of exporters and economic conditions are such that the possibility of new types of dumping that will harm domestic producers is not ruled out.
The current voluntary pricing commitments from foreign manufacturer/exporter Zhejiang Longda Stainless Steel Co., Ltd are sufficient to prevent dumping and damage.
“National interests require the continuation of anti-dumping measures regarding the import of seamless stainless steel pipes to Ukraine from China,” the commission said.
In this regard, the commission decided to complete the revision and extend the anti-dumping measures applied by its decision of November 27, 2014 for another five years. At the same time, extend the voluntary price commitment of Zhejiang Longda Stainless Steel Co. to stop dumping imports of seamless stainless steel pipes to Ukraine from China. The final anti-dumping measures should not be applied to this manufacturer/exporter, due to the fact that the voluntary obligation to stop dumping imports to Ukraine continues.
The decision of the commission made on December 14, 2020 came into force from the date of publication of this report (from December 19, 2020).
