China's Foreign Ministry on April 23 accused Ukraine of making "groundless" accusations after the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry summoned a Chinese ambassador to present evidence of Chinese involvement in Russia's war.
A day earlier, Chinese Ambassador to Ukraine Ma Shengkun was invited to the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry to meet with Deputy Foreign Minister Yevhen Perebyinis.
Perebyinis presented the Chinese ambassador with evidence of Chinese citizens' participation in hostilities against Ukraine on Russia's side and the involvement of Chinese companies in the production of military products in Russia.
The evidence was also passed on to the Chinese side by the Ukrainian security services.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry called Ukraine's recent statements "groundless" and "political manipulations."
"We have clarified China's position on the relevant issues. China strongly opposes groundless accusations and political manipulations," Guo Jiakun, a spokesperson of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, said during a press briefing.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said on April 17 that China is supplying weapons to Russia, marking Kyiv's first confirmation that Beijing supports Russia's war effort by direct military aid. Iran and North Korea are two other allies of Moscow that supply Russia with arms.
Though Beijing has long denied supplying arms, multiple reports have suggested otherwise. In summer 2024, Zelensky said China had assured Ukraine it would not deliver weapons to Russia.
While officially claiming neutrality, Beijing has deepened economic ties with Moscow, supported Russia against Western sanctions, and emerged as a top supplier of dual-use goods that feed the Russian defense sector.
Earlier this month, Ukrainian forces captured two Chinese nationals fighting for Russia in Donetsk Oblast. Zelensky later said that "several hundred" Chinese nationals were fighting on Russia's side.
China has denied any direct involvement in the war and claimed it has urged its citizens to avoid armed conflicts.
Kateryna Hodunova
(Updated: )
