2 days ago
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With Donald Trump's support dwindling and Russia upping its offensive with Beijing's silent support to Moscow, options were running out for Kyiv. After China's outright denial of its citizens fighting the war alongside Russians, Ukraine decided to take some drastic actions.
With President Zelensky's approval, the Ukranian military decided to parade Chinese nationals captured as prisoners of war or PoWs in the years-long conflict in Ukraine. Revealing the identities of prisoners of war and parading them in front of reporters and news cameras is considered a violation of international humanitarian law. But Kyiv decided to do it anyway - just to prove Beijing wrong.
As recently as last week, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky had said that there are 155 Chinese nationals who are fighting against Ukrainians on the territory of Ukraine. He asserted that Russia was "dragging" China into the war and slammed Beijing for silently allowing its citizens to be recruited by Moscow's army, who in turn gave them combat training. He also said that Kyiv has details of at least 155 Chinese nationals currently fighting in the war and that two of them were even captured in eastern Donetsk - a claim China rubbished.
CHINA LEFT RED-FACED
In its response to President Zelensky, China's foreign ministry said, "We would like to reiterate that China is not the initiator of the Ukrainian crisis, nor is China a participating party," adding that "We urge the relevant parties concerned to correctly and soberly understand the role of China and to not release irresponsible remarks."
With Washington greatly reducing its support too, Kyiv was left with no other option but to break a few rules in order to leave Beijing red-faced over its denial.
And so, at the risk of damaging its reputation, Kyiv paraded the captured Chinese nationals in front of the press. According to the International Committee of the Red Cross, protection of prisoners of war include shielding them from the media.
The two captured Chinese prisoners of war spoke to the media, answering questions in Mandarin
While China has always claimed to be neutral in the Russia-Ukraine war, Beijing has, from the start, provided Moscow an economic and diplomatic lifeline. With its citizens now found to be participating alongside Russian troops, Beijing's actions are being watched very closely by Kyiv.
THE BIG REVEAL
According to CNN, which got media access to the Chinese prisoners of war, the captives were brought into the press briefing room dressed in combat fatigues. They were given an opportunity to interact with the press, which also gave them a platform to speak about their ordeal.
A translator stood beside them who translated the questions being asked to the PoWs, who in turn answered in Mandarin. Throughout the press briefing the PoWs were watched over by armed Ukrainian security personnel.
The men - who CNN decided not to name, or identify in any way - told how financial incentives played a key role in their decisions. One of them said he had been looking for a way to earn money after losing his job during the COVID-19 pandemic. "The prospect of 250,000 rubles (around $3,000) per month in Russia was more than double what he could expect to earn at home," the CNN report stated.
Ukraine also released documents and passports of the two PoWs, proving their identity as Chinese.
He went on to say that he had prior training in medical rehabilitation - something that he wanted to do in the Russian military. But when he reached Moscow, he underwent mandatory combat training and was assigned a fighting role.
Both the PoWs said that they had a language problem and documents given to them were all in Russian, which neither of them understood. One of the men said he could only communicate with his comrades in hand signals.
CNN further reported that it had seen a Russian military contract which was signed by yet another Chinese fighter - one who was not present at the press briefing - which gives a possible indication of what the two PoWs had agreed to. The contract was shown to CNN by a Ukrainian intelligence source.
The contract, among other things, commits a trained volunteer to "participate in combat, fulfill duties during the mobilisation period, emergencies and martial law," as well as take part in "activity to keep and restore international peace and security" and stopping "international terrorist activity outside the territory of the Russian Federation."
'BEIJING AWARE OF WHAT'S HAPPENING'
With Chinese nationals now confirmed to be fighting in Ukraine, interest has focused on how they were recruited and how much of an active role China's government played in it. When President Zelensky was asked if he thinks that the presence of Chinese nationals in Ukraine was a result of Beijing's official policy, he said, "I don't have an answer to this question yet. The Security Service of Ukraine will work on it." But he went on to add that Kyiv has reason to believe that "Beijing is aware of what is happening."
Ukraine's President Zelensky has claimed that Beijing is aware of what is happening after two Chinese nationals were taken PoWs
By parading the Chinese prisoners of war in front of the media, President Zelensky also aims to give Kyiv a chance by getting Donald Trump's attention drawn to it. The Trump administration is currently in the midst of a trade war with China and Washington has been heavily focused on Beijing - which it describes as its "principal global adversary".
By amplifying anything that suggests Beijing's support to Moscow is much more than just diplomatic or economic in nature, Ukraine has a chance to gain Washington's attention while also intensifying Europe's appeal for Kyiv.
