Probing China’s role in Ukraine

Evidence of Chinese citizens joining the Russian military to fight against Ukraine adds a grave new strategic dimension to Vladimir Putin’s lawless attempt to overrun the sovereign democratic nation. Chinese involvement to date does not amount to anything like the 12,000 North Korean combat troops Pyongyang has deployed to help Putin in his desperate fight in Russia’s Kursk region; or the stockpiles of missiles and drones that Iran, another member of the “axis of upheaval”, is supplying. But the reported capture by Kyiv of two Chinese combatants in eastern Ukraine, and other evidence of deepening involvement by Beijing in Ukraine, is significant enough to further damage deteriorating relations between Washington and Beijing.

However disdainful Donald Trump may be of Ukraine’s brave battle for survival, he must surely recognise the profound dangers to the entire world that would follow if China were to offer full-throated military assistance to Putin. The Wall Street Journal has reported seeing Ukrainian intelligence accounts showing the photographs and passports of 13 Chinese citizens apparently recruited to one Russian army unit fighting in Ukraine. The paper also has seen another list of 168 Chinese citizens and the Russian army units to which they have been assigned. Some of the soldiers have been listed as riflemen, others as strike-drone operators, indicating that they have the skills needed on a modern battlefield.

For three years China has been a key enabler of Putin’s onslaught against Ukraine, mainly through economic support. But it denies any military involvement and stresses “the Chinese government always asks its 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”. But Beijing’s denials do not rate highly on the global credibility table.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was right last week when he warned “the involvement of Chinese citizens in this war is fuelling a bigger problem” – deeper Chinese involvement than was previously known. It is hard to believe that in the Chinese Communist Party’s totalitarian regime its citizens could join Russian combat units without being sanctioned by Beijing. As US National Security Council spokesman Brian Hughes said, if the Chinese government were allowing its citizens to fight on behalf of Russia in Ukraine, “this would be a concerning escalation and the US will consider options”.

If the Chinese are mercenaries – one captured by Ukraine recounted that he paid an intermediary in China the equivalent of about $US3500 ($5600) to join the Russian army in return for a promise of Russian citizenship, before he underwent Russian military training – their presence in the war zone is an alarming sign of deepening Chinese involvement. Mr Zelensky’s warning about the dangers of such an event must be heeded. “We are a strong country but we can’t fight simultaneously with many countries that want something on our land,” he said.

Beijing will be risking immense damage to itself if it allows its citizens to join Putin’s forces fighting in Ukraine or increases help for the Russian tyrant at a critical time. Western democracies – including the US – must warn China against getting involved any more deeply.