In October, Russian and Chinese businessmen with ties to the government secretly discussed plans to build an undersea tunnel that would connect Russia to Crimea and created a “consortium” for that purpose. “The talks, which included meetings in late October, were spurred by growing Russian concerns about the security of the 11-mile bridge across the Kerch Strait,” the Washington Post revealed. Emails that have circulated among those responsible for the consortium in recent weeks mention meetings with Chinese delegates in Crimea. In one of them, dated October 4, the Chinese Railway Construction Corporation (CRCC) is described as “ready to ensure the construction of railway and road infrastructure of any complexity in the Crimea region”. The head of the Russian-Chinese consortium, based in Sevastopol, refused to answer questions about the tunnel project. Volodymyr Kalyuzhny, a Russian businessman listed as the consortium’s CEO, dismissed the questions, then said he would not provide any information to the “hostile media” and abruptly ended the conversation.
In a message sent last month to a Russian official, one of Crimea’s main representatives in Moscow, Kalyuzhny said he had received “a letter from our Chinese partners about the willingness of one of the largest Chinese companies, CRCC, to participate as a general contractor in the construction of a tunnel under the Kerch Strait”. The email was addressed to Georgy Muradov, listed as the permanent representative of the Republic of Crimea to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Muradov did not respond to a request for comment.
Six of the nine founding directors of the consortium are not included in the registration files. The emails also show China’s efforts to maintain secrecy. One of the letters highlighted that CRCC would only be involved under the condition of “strict adherence to complete confidentiality” and that the company name would be replaced by “another unrelated entity” in any contract. Another email mentions a Chinese bank willing to “convert your dollar funds into rubles for transfer to Crimea to finance consortium projects.” The emails also cite the consortium’s discussions with a CRCC executive, identified as Xu Huaxiang, a name that matches that of a Chinese national listed as vice president and deputy general manager of the company’s international division. Attempts to contact Huaxiang were unsuccessful. “Given the risks of sanctions and sabotage, U.S. officials and experts have expressed surprise at the risk of the CRCC becoming involved in this case,” the newspaper wrote.
Experts in major international transport projects say that building a tunnel under the Kerch Strait is technically possible and that China has the necessary knowledge and equipment. However, they say it will be a huge undertaking, comparable in size to the tunnel between Denmark and Germany that has been under construction for eight years, will cost more than $8.7 billion and will be the longest tunnel in Europe when it is completed. concluded. of the decade. Experts say the Kerch Tunnel is unlikely to be completed in time to aid Russia’s military action, but Moscow may see it as a long-term investment to provide a secure link to Ukrainian territory that could be contested for decades.
Source: IL Tempo
John Cameron is a journalist at The Nation View specializing in world news and current events, particularly in international politics and diplomacy. With expertise in international relations, he covers a range of topics including conflicts, politics and economic trends.
