China has issued a subtle rebuke to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy following his allegations that Beijing is aware of its citizens fighting alongside Russian forces in Ukraine.
On Thursday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian called on “relevant parties” not to make “irresponsible remarks,” advising them to “recognize China’s role correctly and clear-headedly.” Lin did not directly name Zelenskyy or Ukraine in his comments.
The statement came after Zelenskyy claimed on Wednesday that Kyiv had evidence of at least 155 Chinese nationals fighting in support of Moscow’s invasion. The day before, Zelenskyy had also stated that two Chinese citizens were captured by Ukrainian forces. He argued that the “overt involvement of Chinese citizens in combat operations” was a deliberate move to escalate the war.
In response, Lin reaffirmed that China consistently advises its citizens to avoid involvement in foreign conflicts, “especially refraining from participating in any party’s military operations.” This suggested that any Chinese nationals fighting in Ukraine may have done so on their own initiative, rather than at the direction of the Chinese government.
Meanwhile, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov also weighed in, calling Zelenskyy “wrong” for suggesting that Russia was involving China in the Ukraine conflict.
