China reportedly said it is seeking the return of two Chinese nationals captured by Ukraine after fighting for Russia.
During a press conference on May 6, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian told Ukrainian state media Ukrinform that it has “appealed to the Ukrainian side” to return the two prisoners of war (POWs), according to Ukrinform on Wednesday.
“The Chinese government has appealed to the Ukrainian side to adhere to international norms in the treatment of captured Chinese citizens,” Lin said in response to a question about the POWs.
According to Ukinform, Lin also said China is “taking all legal measures to return their citizens from captivity to their homeland as soon as possible.”
However, the quote is not present in the official transcript from the Chinese foreign ministry.
Lin also told Ukrinform that Beijing has advised Chinese nationals not to take part in Russia’s war in Ukraine on either side of the conflict.
“We’ve issued multiple security alerts to ask Chinese nationals to stay away from areas of armed conflict, avoid any form of involvement in armed conflict, and in particular avoid participation in any party’s military operations,” Lin said, adding that Beijing supports “all efforts for peace” when questioned about its stance on Kyiv’s unilateral ceasefire on May 6.
The two Chinese POWs, Wang Guangjun and Zhang Renbo, were captured by Kyiv in April 2025.
President Volodymyr Zelensky shared the footage depicting the two soon after their capture, in which one of them was seen describing the moment he was captured after a drone hit his commander.
“Vroom vroom… boom boom boom boom boom… and then my commander… ‘Boom,” the POW said, mimicking the explosions and subsequent injuries for both him and his commander.
The two later took part in a press conference organized by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) and described the recruitment process and said they were “exploited.”
Wang said he was recruited on TikTok and paid to join the Russian military, while Zhang said he traveled to Russia to do so.
Both expressed regret about joining the war and said they were deceived by propaganda.
“Internationally, it is said that China and Russia are friends, therefore Chinese people see Russia… first of all, we trust them. Because of this trust, we were exploited,” Zhang said.
While Beijing has not officially endorsed Russia’s war in Ukraine, it remains a major material backer of Moscow, with Russian officials admitting that “90%” of drone electronics come from China in a leaked call.
In July 2025, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi allegedly told the EU’s top diplomat in a closed-door meeting that Beijing cannot abide a Russian defeat in Ukraine.