Ukraine's Close Ties To China Is Another Reason Why NATO Should Be Hesitant In Admitting Kiev Into The Organization

© Photo : Press service of the Ukrainian president

SCMP: Ukraine’s path to Nato complicated by close ties to China

Kiev passed a new law that aims to push the country closer to Europe and Nato membership. But are deepening ties with Beijing – Moscow’s close military ally – pulling the country in a different direction?

On June 21, a new Law on National Security passed by Ukraine’s lawmakers was welcomed as a strong step on the country’s path to Euro-Atlantic integration and eventual membership of the Nato alliance.

President Petro Poroshenko said the legislation would improve military-technical cooperation between Ukraine and Nato and reaffirms the country’s strategic pivot to the West. His government now plans to include the law in Ukraine’s constitution.

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WNU Editor: Chinese ties with Ukraine run deep and are decades old, and I know enough to say that many of the deals that both countries have strucked over the years were done so because of corruption. The worst one in my book was this one that occurred in 2013 when a Chinese government run conglomerate bought approximately 9% - 10% of Ukraine’s arable land for £1.7-billion .... Did China Just Buy 5% Of Ukraine? (September 23, 2018). I remember at the time the Ukraine government was denying reports that this deal occurred, but I also remembered at the time that people who had been farming this land for generations were being notified that their farmland no longer belonged to them to farm. The anger that came from that deal .... among many other reasons .... was used by the separatists 8 months later to rally support in eastern Ukraine to break away from the central authority of Kiev. Flash forward to today .... I can say with confidence that nothing has changed. The Chinese have always viewed Ukraine as an easy country to buy via through corruption and bribes. If Ukraine becomes a member of NATO .... it is a given to me that NATO secrets will be in the hands of Chinese intelligence within a very short period of time. On a positive note .... many in NATO know that, and are resisting these calls for Ukraine membership in NATO.

Update: Ooopppsss .... I forgot about this article from last year where Ukraine President Poroshenko tried to play both sides of the fence .... Poroshenko Hopes to Develop 'Strategic Partnership' Between Ukraine and China (Sputnik).

Update #2: About time .... China's ambitions in eastern Europe to face scrutiny at summit (Channel News Asia/Reuters).