KIEV, Sept. 2 – President Viktor Yanukovych, on a state visit to China, pledged Thursday to never have any official contacts with Taiwan, and secured about $4 billion in Chinese investments for infrastructure projects.

Yanukovych has been seeking to establish closer political and economic ties with China, which as of last month became the world’s second-largest economy and whose geopolitical clout has been growing.

At a meeting with Chinese leader Hu Jintao, Yanukovych assured him that Ukraine supports the “one China” policy, which rules out independence for Taiwan, a sensitive issue for the Chinese.

Yanukovych also promised to never support the idea of Taiwan being elected as a sovereign member of any international organization.

In exchange, the Chinese leader emphasized on “respect towards the independence of Ukraine, its sovereignty and territorial integrity,” according to a joint statement issued by Yanukovych and by Hu.

The political statement was followed by a number of commercial deals and projects that open way for about $4 billion in Chinese investments in various infrastructure projects in Ukraine.

One of the projects is building a high-speed railroad linking the international airport Boryspil and the city of Kiev. The 8-km long railroad is estimated to cost about $1 billion and will include four stations along with trains.

China has been promoting its high-speed railroad technology throughout the world and has recently won a contract to build high-speed road trains for the U.S.

“Those deals that have been signed today are worth about $4 billion,” Yanukovych said. “This is very important for our country.

Yanukovych and Hu agreed to start work on a strategic cooperation program between the two countries, which will include economy and trade, science, agriculture and space among others.

“The prospective development of strategic relations between Ukraine and China is a matter of a little time,” Yanukovych said.

China has been enjoying an increasing international clout and has last month surpassed Japan as the world’s second largest economy.

Ukraine has been actively seeking Chinese political support earlier this year after stumbling at talks with the International Monetary Fund.

However, the IMF resumed lending only after the U.S. had received Yanukovych’s assurances that he is committed to democracy.

Yanukovych said that growing cooperation with China will open market for Ukrainian goods and commodities, and said that annual trade between Ukraine and Chine will top $10 billion in 2012.

Yanukovych cited an example a growing trade between Ukraine and Russia, which is expected to increase to $40 billion in 2010 from $27 billion in 2009.

“The potential for developing relations between Ukraine and China is very big,” Yanukovych said. (tl/ez)