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Bolton Warns Of 'Unfair Chinese Trade Practices' During Kyiv Visit

RFE /RL

   White Housenationalsecurity adviser John Bolton said Wednesday that he
   haddiscussed Washington's concerns about the threat of "unfair Chinese
   trade practices" with Ukrainian officials during his trip to Kyiv.
   Asked about a possible acquisition by China of Ukrainian defense
   company MotorSich, Bolton said he did not want to discuss specific
   companies and that such deals were a sovereign matter for Ukraine,
   according to Reuters.
   But he made clear that the U.S. administration disapproved of the
   transaction, telling reporters: "We laid out our concerns about'Ķunfair
   Chinese trade practices, threats to national security we've seen in the
   United States."
   Speaking to RFE/RL in Kyiv on Tuesday, Bolton said the possible sale of
   MotorSich--a maker of engines for missiles, helicopters andjets--tothe
   Chinese "is an issue that I think is significant for Ukraine, but
   [also] significant for the U.S., for Europe, for Japan, for Australia,
   Canada, other countries."
   He accused Beijing of using its "trade surpluses to gain economic
   leverage in countries around the world, to profit from defense
   technologies that others have developed."
   Earlier this month, Ukrainian media reported that two Chinese companies
   had reached an agreement with state-owned military
   concernUkroboronpromto jointly purchase MotorSich.
   The Chinese firms, which are believed to be close to the government in
   Beijing, would receive a controlling stake, whileUkroboronpromwould
   receive a blocking stake.
   MotorSichemploys more than 20,000 people in the southwestern Ukrainian
   city of Zaporizhzhya.
   A possible sale to the Chinese provoked a raid of its headquarters by
   Ukraine's Security Service in April 2018 and the seizure of its shares.
   At the time, the company was valued at nearly $500 million.

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