China’s disapproval of color revolutions, coupled with lack of responsibility on behalf of former President Viktor Yushchenko during his five-year tenure, translated into lack of relations. During Yushchenko’s presidency, his office on Bankova Street blocked Socialist leader Oleksandr Moroz’s attempts at foreign contacts.
Yushchenko himself did not want to go to China after the 2004 Orange Revolution. Later he changed his mind. A trip was being arranged for his trip during the 2008 Beijing Olympics. But Yushchenko canceled his trip, and the workers of the Chinese Embassy in Kyiv were told that the president was busy working.
The next day the media reported that the president was vacationing in Crimea. For the Chinese, it was like a slap on the face. And we have be thankful that Yushchenko and his ally, ex-Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, did not recognize the independence of Taiwan and did not demand to protect human rights in Xinjiang and Tibet, and did not speak in support of the Falun Gong spiritual movement.
However, Tymsohenko and her former Economy Minister Bohdan Danylyshyn and Deputy Minister Valeriy Pyatnytskiy are fully responsible for designing Ukraine’s exhibition at the World Universal Exhibition EXPO 2010. That’s where Yanukovych said: “The exhibition hall does not meet our expectations. Ukraine has much more [to show].”
Hong Kong Chief Executive Donald Tsang, right, applauds alongside Ukrainian President of Viktor Yanukovych, 2nd left, as Hong Kong’s Commissioner of Customs and Excise Richard Yuen, 2nd right, and Ukraine’s chairman of the State Customs Service exchange Ihor Kaletnik, left, shake hands and exchange documents at a signing ceremony at Government House in Hong Kong on Saturday September 4. (AP)
What would an average citizen of the world think about Ukraine is they visited this exhibition? In my opinion, they would think that the only thing Ukraine is capable of producing is sunflowers.
Ukraine’s hall is painted in the style of the ancient Trypillya culture so favored by Yushchenko. I’m sorry, but there’s been stuff happening since then in Ukraine. The hall resembles the design of Kozachok restaurants of Kozyrna Karta network, but their owner, Andriy Zadorozhniy, seems to be more ingenious. But Ukrainian-style kitsch is only good for ethnographic exhibitions. Neither An-148 airplanes, nor missiles of theYuzhmash plant, nor the products made by Mykolayiv ship-builders were present at the exhibition, except on video.
Yanukovych took to China not just the members of the government and the president’s administration. There were people flying in his plane worth tens of billions of dollars.
On the first day of Yanukovych’s official visit, he conducted negotiations with Chinese President Hu Jintao. The building that hosted the official meeting, negotiations and reception is right across the road from the Forbidden City, an ancient imperial palace in the center of the capital.
Members of Ukraine’s delegation told the journalists that the economic effect from the signed documents would be worth around $4 billion. The most important agreements include construction of the combined cycle power plant in Crimea’s Shchelkino, reconstruction of communications and roads around Boryspil airport, a contract to supply plane engines for a new training plane L-15 which is partially made by Odesa aviation plant, and the announcement about the participation of Antonov design bureau in creation of the first Chinese cargo plane.
In the military and technical cooperation there was an agreement that China is buying a Zubr air cushion ship, which is partially made by Feodosiya’s industrial corporation, More, and one of the plants in Kryviy Rih.
Previously, this economic and military component simply did not exist. The Beijing office of UkrSpetsExport (Ukraine’s state arms export company) had two representatives. For comparison, its Russian counterpart Rosvooruzhenie had 35.
As far as the delegation members’ comments went, Yanukovych’s presentation in China was a success. He was capable of finding all the right words. Now much depends on what concrete steps will support these declarations.
Yanukovych gave a speech in Hong Kong, which can be summed up this way: China is tolerant towards Ukraine because it has no political goals to pursue, and is therefore an optimal economic partner.
The state CCTV4 had at least four reports about Yanukovych’s meetings in Beijing. The news agency Xinhua also carried multiple reports. The front page of Xin Jiang Ri Bao newspaper, with a joint photo of Yanukovych and his Chinese counterparts, was advertised on city billboards on the streets of Shanghai. Evening news carried sound bites of Yanukovych’s speeches in Hong Kong.
The visit was a success.
Viacheslav Pikhovshek is a former chief editor of news on 1+1 TV channel. He was also speech writer for former President Leonid Kuchma. He can reached at [email protected].
