China's Shadow Empire in Ukraine: A Profitable Crisis The revelation that over a dozen Chinese companies operate in Russian occupied Ukrainian regions has raised concerns among experts and policymakers.
While Beijing maintains its neutrality on the conflict, its business interests in Eastern Europe have sparked questions about the country's true intentions.
Chinese firms have been quietly establishing themselves in the occupied areas since 2014, when Russia backed separatists carved out the "People's Republics" of Donetsk and Luhansk from southeastern Ukraine.