Ukraine’s Foreign Minister, Dmytro Kuleba, visited Hong Kong on Thursday and urged its leader, John Lee, to ensure that Russia cannot use Hong Kong to evade Western sanctions imposed for its full-scale war in Ukraine. The U.S. government considers both Hong Kong and China as significant channels for Russia to acquire military materials, such as semiconductors and drone parts.
“Dmytro Kuleba … called on the Hong Kong administration to take measures to deprive Russia and Russian companies of the opportunity to use Hong Kong to circumvent restrictive measures imposed for Russian aggression against Ukraine,” stated the Ukrainian ministry.
In response to Reuters via email, the Hong Kong government asserted that it “implements and strictly enforces United Nations Security Council’s sanctions.” Nonetheless, previously undisclosed U.S. Commerce Department data, reported by Reuters, indicate that Hong Kong remains a key hub for sanctions evasion, despite a 20% decline in shipments of semiconductors and other restricted goods through China and Hong Kong this year.
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China, the world’s second-largest economy, maintains a neutral stance on the Ukraine war but had declared a “no limits” partnership with Russia just days before the 2022 invasion. China has provided diplomatic support and economic assistance to Russia throughout the conflict. The Hong Kong government has stated it does not enforce unilateral sanctions from other countries but strictly enforces United Nations Security Council sanctions, following directives from China’s Foreign Ministry.
Kuleba’s visit to Hong Kong followed over three hours of discussions with his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, in Guangzhou on Wednesday, where they focused on strategies to end the Russian war in Ukraine.
