MOSCOW, May 5 (RIA Novosti) – China de facto recognizes Crimea as part of Russia, Director of the Institute of Political Studies of the Black Sea and Caspian Region Vladimir Zakharov told Rossiya Segodnya International News Agency on Monday.
“China understands the reality of what has happened in Crimea. If China suspected Russia in expansionist ambitions, it wouldn’t have planned to invest billions of dollars in the region,” he said, commenting on the new joint Russian-Chinese project in Crimea.
“China thus de facto recognizes that Crimea became a part of Russia voluntarily, not forcibly, what the United States and the West insist on. This is a very important geopolitical factor,” he added.
China’s plan to take part in the construction of a new Crimea transport corridor reflects its geopolitical goals in the region, the expert said.
“China understands the strategic importance of this region. [Beijing] realizes that it will yield a hundred-fold return on its investments. China does not waste money on risky projects. They conduct very serious studies of investment projects. In this case, China is making its way into a new market, Crimea, from where roads lead to the Black Sea and the Mediterranean regions,” Zakharov said.
Chinese companies may participate in the construction of a transportation corridor to Crimea via the Black Sea’s Kerch Strait, the Russian Kommersant newspaper reported earlier on Monday. According to the report, state contractor China Railway Construction Corporation and the private investment fund China International Fund Ltd are planning to take part in the project. Plans are expected to be finalized by the end of the month, while financial and construction models are due in July.
Last month, Russia’s United Transport Directorate said that the Kerch Strait Ferry Line, linking southern Russia’s Krasnodar region with Crimea, will cease freight services in an effort to triple the capacity for passengers. Crimean Tourism Minister Yelena Yurchenko has said the region would be ready to receive six million tourists this year.
Crimea, previously an autonomous republic within Ukraine, refused to recognize the legitimacy of the government in Kiev which seized power as a result of a coup in February, instead rejoining Russia following a referendum on the issue.
