Ukraine is new battleground in US-China fight for influence

Beijing casts an eager eye on military technology from ex-Soviet republic

20190903 Ukraine military helicopter

China is looking at acquisition of Ukrainian military technology, including purchasing a stake in a military helicopter engine manufacturer. © Reuters

EIJI FURUKAWA, Nikkei senior staff writer

TOKYO -- The U.S. and China are competing for influence in Ukraine, the latest arena in the broadening geopolitical struggle between Washington and Beijing.

U.S. national security adviser John Bolton met Ukrainian leaders, including President Volodymyr Zelensky, in Kyiv on Wednesday. The hastily arranged trip, the U.S. Embassy said, was aimed at underscoring American support for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as its "path to Euro-Atlantic integration." But its main purpose was to block China's attempt to purchase Motor Sich, a big supplier of engines for military helicopters.

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