Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has accused Beijing of ignoring the recruitment of Chinese citizens fighting for Russia, saying he believes the United States is "very surprised" by the revelation.
The Ukrainian president said Kyiv has the passport details of at least 155 Chinese fighters involved in the war. Zelensky said that while Beijing is aware of its citizens' presence, he does not believe China has given "any orders" for them to join.
Zelensky added that he believes Russia is recruiting through social media, including TikTok. He said he was ready to exchange captured Chinese soldiers for Ukrainian service members who were in captivity.
China has called the accusations "baseless," stressing that they contradict its efforts to find a political solution to the war. "The Chinese government has always called on its citizens to avoid conflict zones," he said. A foreign ministry spokesman said Russia has not yet commented on the information about the participation of Chinese citizens on its part.
