China Calls on Ukraine to Treat Prisoners of War Who Fought on Side of Russian Federation Humanely, — Chinese Foreign Ministry
Beijing said Ukraine should protect their rights and ensure humane treatment, while Lin Jian did not say whether China is trying to bring them home.
- China asked Ukraine on May 6 to follow international law regarding captured fighters Zhang Renbo and Wang Guangjun, with MFA spokesman Lin Jian urging Ukraine to "protect the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese nationals, and ensure their humane treatment."
- Ukrainian forces captured Zhang and Wang in Donetsk Oblast in April 2025 after both signed up for the Russian army following a TikTok recruitment ad, part of a pipeline Russia has used since at least 2023.
- Under the Geneva Conventions, responsibility for prisoners lies with the country they fought for—Russia—yet Moscow has shown no interest in retrieving them, focusing only on North Koreans.
- The Security Service holds both men in a pretrial detention center, with Bohdan Okhrimenko of Ukraine's POW Coordination Headquarters noting, "Sometimes we have to persuade them to take back their own citizens."
- President Volodymyr Zelenskyy previously estimated at least 155 Chinese nationals joined Russia's army, yet Beijing has not clarified whether China is taking direct action to bring these specific men home.
12 Articles
12 Articles
China asks Ukraine to treat Chinese POWs well, but doesn’t say if it wants them back
China asked Ukraine on 6 May to follow international law on two captured Chinese fighters, MFA spokesman Lin Jian said. Lin Jian did not say whether Beijing is taking action to bring the men home. Russia, on whose side they fought, has shown no interest in retrieving them, Ukrainian officials have said. Russia's foreign-fighter pipeline spans Africa, Asia, and beyond, while Beijing's dual-use exports continue to enable Moscow's war. What Lin Jia…
Beijing demands Ukraine protect rights of Chinese nationals captured fighting for Russia
The Chinese government has raised concerns over the rights of its citizens who fought for Russia and are now being held as prisoners in Ukraine. Beijing has stated that it is closely monitoring the situation of Chinese nationals detained while fighting on Russia’s side and has called on Ukraine to guarantee their lawful rights in accordance with international law. The statement was made by Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian and publi…
Beijing has made demands on Kyiv regarding its mercenaries. China has responded to reports of its citizens' participation in the war against Ukraine on Russia's side and called for their rights to be protected. This was reported by RBC-Ukraine, citing a statement by Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian. Read also: The Coordination Headquarters reported on the fate of captured Chinese citizens who fought for Russia. According to the spo…
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