Beijing responds to Chinese prisoners of war in Ukraine seeking exchange
Photo: Chinese prisoners (Vitalii Nosach/RBC-Ukraine)
China is currently reviewing the personal conduct and consular affairs concerning citizens who were captured by Ukraine while fighting for Russia, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian reports.
During a press conference, a representative of China's Foreign Ministry was asked about two citizens who took part in combat alongside the Russian army in the Donetsk region and were captured by the Ukrainian army. In particular, about the fact that they had asked for help to be released from captivity.
"The position of the Chinese government is clear and unambiguous. We have repeatedly issued security warnings, demanding that Chinese citizens stay as far away as possible from areas of armed conflict (Russia's war against Ukraine - ed.), avoid participating in conflicts in any form, and especially avoid participating in military operations on any side," Lin Jian stated.
According to him, China is currently verifying the situation and reviewing the personal conduct and consular affairs of Chinese citizens abroad in accordance with the law.
At the same time, he reiterated that China's position on the war in Ukraine — which he referred to as a crisis — is consistent and clear
"We have always been committed to promoting peace and negotiations and insist on ending the war and ceasing fire. We call on the relevant parties to properly understand China's objective and fair position and to refrain from political manipulation and noise," the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said.
Captured Chinese citizens
A week ago, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that the Armed Forces of Ukraine had captured two Chinese citizens who were fighting on the side of Russia. At that time, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated it was "verifying the situation" with Ukraine.
Later, Zelenskyy reported that Ukraine is aware of more than 150 Chinese nationals participating in the war on the Russian side. Meanwhile, RBC-Ukraine published documents showing that Chinese soldiers have been fighting in large numbers against Ukraine as part of the Russian army.
Yesterday, the captured Chinese soldiers appeared before journalists, where they spoke about how the Russians sent them to war and how they ended up captured by Ukrainian defenders.
In addition, one of the Chinese prisoners addressed his government, asking for help in securing his release.
"We hope that the Chinese government can help facilitate an exchange between Ukraine and Russia, and that we can return to China," said prisoner Zhang Renbo.
