Ukraine’s China Problem, and How to Solve It

In a recent Wall Street Journal column, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy extolled his country’s potential to become “a major hub for information technology.” Certainly, all civilized people are rooting for Ukraine to repel the Russian invasion and have its war-shattered economy roar back stronger than ever. But before U.S. taxpayer dollars are spent on Ukraine’s reconstruction, there’s a serious problem that must be addressed: The People’s Republic of China.

The Ukrainian resistance has been truly heroic. Moscow expected it to crumble rapidly. Instead, Putin’s three-day war turned into a protracted slog. Indeed, Ukraine now may even be in the process of turning the tables on Russia with a counter-offensive.

Much of this success has been supported by robust military and economic aid from the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom, and Asian allies such as Japan. At war’s end, this will doubtless be followed by investments in and contributions to the sort of modernizing reconstruction Zelenskyy envisions. As he points out, there will be considerable profits to be made in this new Ukraine, especially if the country uses the transition to break the grip of endemic corruption that has bedeviled it for so long.