China has dismissed remarks made by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in which he claimed officials in Beijing are aware that Chinese citizens are fighting with Russian forces in Ukraine.
At a press conference in Beijing, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian slammed the claims as “irresponsible remarks”.
“We advise the relevant parties to recognise China’s role correctly and clear-headedly,” Lin told reporters, without directly naming either Zelenskyy or Ukraine.
Lin said Beijing always advises its nationals to avoid any foreign conflict and in particular discourages Chinese citizens from joining foreign military operations.
The rebuke came after Zelenskyy said on Wednesday that Ukraine had evidence of at least 155 Chinese nationals fighting alongside Russia on Ukrainian territory.
The day before, the Ukrainian president announced that his country’s military had captured two Chinese men on the battlefield.
After their capture, Zelenskyy said officials in Beijing were aware of Russia’s campaign to recruit Chinese mercenaries, but provided no evidence to support the claim. However, he stopped short of saying the Chinese government authorised the mercenaries’ involvement in the war.
Zelenskyy said Ukraine has the last names and passport data for 155 Chinese citizens fighting for the Russian army, and that “we believe that there are many more of them”.
He shared with journalists documents listing names, passport numbers and personal details of the alleged Chinese recruits, including when they arrived in Russia for military training and departed for service.
China has provided strong diplomatic support for Russia since it launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
While China has always maintained its neutrality in the conflict, Russia extensively uses Chinese-made components to produced weaponry — as does Ukraine.
Both sides use Mavic drones manufactured by the Shenzhen-based tech company DJI, although Ukraine has taken steps to reduce its dependence on hardware from China.
China is also not believed to have knowingly provided Russia with troops, weapons or military expertise.
Tehran has been directly providing Russia with drones, while US and South Korean officials say North Korea has sent thousands of troops and ammunition to help Russia on the battlefield.
Tensions between the US and China have deepened in recent years, with disputes centred on geopolitical influence, technology and trade and, more recently, escalating import tariffs.
ADVERTISEMENTZelenskyy said US officials expressed “surprise” when informed of the presence of Chinese mercenaries in Ukraine.
US President Donald Trump is trying to follow through on a campaign promise last year to swiftly bring about an end to the war in Ukraine, but those efforts have faltered.
