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According to the Washington Post, Russian and Chinese business leaders are considering building an undersea tunnel that would connect Russia and Crimea.
The tunnel – reportedly referenced in Ukrainian military communications logs – would represent an unprecedented collaboration by the Chinese, who have previously not recognized Russian sovereignty over Crimea.
Russia is reportedly exploring this option as an alternative to its 11-mile-long Kerch Strait bridge, which has been bombed several times since the invasion of Ukraine.
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A general view of the Crimean Bridge as the war between Russia and Ukraine continues in Crimea. (Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
The Chinese Railway Construction Corporation (CRCC), according to the report, wrote that workers were “ready to ensure the construction of railway and road projects of any complexity in the Crimean region.”
The CRCC is a state-owned enterprise owned and operated by the Chinese Communist Party.
The outlet cited another email from Russian business leader Vladimir Kalyushny in which he expressed CRCC’s interest in acting as a general contractor for a tunnel project.
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A man leaves a China Railway Construction Corp. construction site. in Beijing, China. (Qilai Shen/Bloomberg via Getty Images / Getty Images)
Kalyuzhny called the reports “a lot of hot air” and flatly denied cooperation between Russia and the CRCC, calling the Washington Post a “hostile media.”
Further communications reportedly show that the Chinese Communist Party wants to remain behind the scenes on the tunnel project and is “strictly maintaining complete confidentiality.”
CRCC is also quoted in the report as saying that its work on a hypothetical project in the Kerch Strait would be attributed to “another, unrelated legal entity” and that the company would “convert its dollar funds into rubles to use for financing.” to be transferred to Crimea.” [consortium] Projects.”
A cargo ship crosses the Kerch Strait as the Crimean Bridge is seen behind it, as the war between Russia and Ukraine continues in Crimea. (Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
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China has never officially recognized Russia’s sovereignty claims over Crimea, which it invaded and began occupying in 2014.
Open support for Russia’s ongoing annexation of Crimea could lead China to Western sanctions and trade penalties.
A tunnel connecting Russia with Crimea would be an infrastructure project of immense proportions. Construction would be made even more difficult by the ongoing violent conflict in the region.