China is a global player that sets its priorities for both the short and long terms. The country’s strategic vision is reflected in the One Belt One Road (OBOR) initiative announced in 2013 by Chinese President Xi Jinping. In the press, OBOR is often referred to as “the Silk Road.”
The Chinese government has already made huge allocations to OBOR through the mechanisms of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank ($100 billion) and the Silk Road Fund ($40 billion). When private investments are added, total investment could easily reach $1 trillion. The initiative is still being clarified, but it’s already obvious that many Asian and European countries are eager to be included in the Silk Road. For China, as a global power, its presence in as many countries as possible is a tool by which it can exert quiet influence (by making the countries dependent on China’s trade routes and economy).
Some countries are of particular interest to China. Among them is Ukraine, where China’s interest is driven by several key factors. These factors include Ukraine’s geographic location and its potential to become a major transit hub within OBOR, in addition to the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade agreement between Ukraine and the EU, and Ukraine’s agricultural industry.
Source: http://thediplomat.com/2016/03/why-china-is-interested-in-ukraine/
