Senator Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) has introduced legislation aimed at preventing the Chinese communist regime from gaining influence in Ukraine through reconstruction efforts. In a statement on July 31, Rubio expressed concern about allowing China, the United States’ greatest adversary, to be involved in Ukraine’s reconstruction. He emphasized the need for both the U.S. and its democratic allies in Europe to counter this threat.
If passed into law, the bill would require the secretary of state to negotiate with Ukraine to establish a mechanism for reviewing investment in the country, particularly from China. The legislation also includes provisions for providing assistance to Ukraine in implementing this investment mechanism.
China has been actively supporting Russia since the beginning of its invasion of Ukraine. This support includes providing critical components and technology that aid Russia’s defense industry, which has been impacted by Western sanctions. Additionally, Beijing has increased its purchases of Russian energy, providing economic support to Moscow amid global sanctions.
One aspect of China’s 12-point peace plan for the Russia-Ukraine war is promoting post-conflict reconstruction. Beijing claims it will support and participate in these efforts.
According to estimates by organizations such as the World Bank and United Nations, Ukraine’s reconstruction and recovery efforts are expected to cost $486 billion over the next decade.
In addition to introducing legislation related to Chinese influence in Ukraine, Senator Rubio also introduced three other measures on July 31. These include a bill aimed at imposing sanctions on those responsible for forced organ harvesting from Falun Gong practitioners; another bill targeting members of the Chinese Communist Party and their relatives for acts of aggression and human rights abuses; and a third bill prohibiting taxpayer funding for a specific position within the United Nations that advocates against unilateral coercive measures impacting human rights.
Last year, Senator Rubio raised concerns along with his colleagues about China’s involvement in diplomatic efforts regarding Russia’s war in Ukraine. They warned that allowing China’s role could undermine U.S., European security interests while setting a precedent for future CCP participation in European security issues.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy recently stated that he does not want China acting as a mediator but rather putting pressure on Russia to end the war.