China’s Foreign Ministry says it is “absolutely unfounded” to suggest that many Chinese people are fighting in Ukraine.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that the Ukrainian intelligence agency has information about 155 Chinese citizens fighting for the Russian army against Ukraine, and that the real numbers are likely to be much higher.
Zelenskyy told reporters on Kyiv on Wednesday that Russia is recruiting Chinese citizens via social media, and Chinese officials are aware of the efforts. He added that Ukraine is trying to assess whether recruits have been instructed by Beijing.
“The “China” problem is serious. There are 155 people with names and passport details fighting Ukrainians on Ukrainian territory,” Zelensky said. “We believe there are more of them.”
Zelensky said on Tuesday that Ukrainian troops had captured two Chinese men fighting alongside Russian troops in Ukrainian soil. It was the first time Ukraine had made such a claim about Chinese fighter jets in the war.
On Wednesday, Zelensky said he was willing to trade two prisoners with Ukrainian soldiers who were taken prisoner in Russia.
China’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jiang said at a press conference on Wednesday that the proposal that many Chinese citizens were fighting in Ukraine was “absolutely unfounded.”
“The Chinese government has always urged its citizens to stay away from the areas of armed conflict. [and] Avoid any form of involvement in armed conflict,” he said, adding that Beijing is verifying relevant information with Kyiv.
Russia has not commented on the issue.
China has established itself as a neutral party in conflict and, unlike the US and other Western countries, it says it has not sent fatal aid to either side.
However, Beijing has provided strong diplomatic support to Russia, and has also provided economic lifelines through trade in energy and consumer goods since Moscow began a full-scale invasion of its neighbors in February 2022.
US officials accused Iran of providing drones to Russia, but US and South Korean officials say North Korea has sent thousands of troops and ammunition to support Russia on the battlefield.
The war, to some extent, became a contest between the power bloc, as the US and Europe provided Ukraine with significant military support and diplomatic weight.
On Tuesday, Zelensky said Ukrainian forces had captured two Chinese men fighting Russian forces in the Donetsk region.
Media outlet Ukrainskapuravda, which cites the Ukrainian army, reported that one of the prisoners had paid a Chinese intermediary $3,480 to join the Russian army because they wanted to receive Russian citizenship.
The prisoners of war currently working with Ukrainian authorities are reportedly trained in the Luhansk region under Russian occupation as part of a group of Chinese citizens.
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