During an April 10 briefing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian stated that China has no involvement in instigating the Ukrainian crisis and consistently urges its citizens to avoid any participation in armed conflicts.
"Let me reaffirm that China did not start the Ukrainian crisis and is not a party to it. We firmly support and actively seek a peaceful resolution of the crisis. The Chinese government always asks Chinese citizens to stay away from armed conflict zones and to refrain from participating in military operations of any party. We call on the relevant party to be fair and sober about China's role and not make irresponsible remarks," Lin Jian said.
In contrast, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has disclosed that Ukrainian military forces captured two Chinese citizens—Wang Guangjun (born in 1991) and Zhang Renbo (born in 1998)—who fought as part of Russian forces in the Donetsk region. Zelensky noted that Ukrainian intelligence has detailed records, including passport data and service records, and suggested that there may be significantly more Chinese citizens enlisted in the occupier's units than the two already captured.
Zelensky emphasized that the involvement of Chinese citizens fighting for Russia sends a crucial signal to the United States. As a consequence, Ukraine has summoned China's charge d'affaires in Kyiv to address the issue of Chinese participation in the conflict—an action that, according to Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry, undermines trust in Beijing and casts doubt on its peace efforts.
A spokeswoman for the US State Department confirmed that Washington is aware of the capture of the two Chinese individuals, describing the development as "disturbing."
The situation continues to raise complex questions about international involvement in the conflict and the extent of foreign participation on the Russian side. As Ukraine and its allies monitor these developments closely, calls for fairness in assessing China's role are likely to shape the ongoing international dialogue surrounding the war.
