China’s ambassador to Berlin was summoned for urgent talks over media reports that Russian soldiers were being trained in China, the German Foreign Ministry said on Friday.
These “deeply disturbing” reports point to support for Russia by Chinese state actors, particularly the Chinese People’s Liberation Army, he said.
The envoy was summoned on Thursday, she added.
“Anything that enables Russia to continue its war of aggression against Ukraine also represents a threat to our security,” the ministry said.
The German government regularly emphasizes its concern about China’s support for Russia.
This was particularly the case during Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s visit to China in February, the ministry said, adding that it is “addressing this issue in depth with its European partners”.
On May 20, the German daily Die Welt reported that the Chinese military had secretly trained several hundred Russian soldiers on its territory, some of whom were stationed in Ukraine, citing documents classified by European intelligence services.
The revelations, which could not be independently verified by AFP, came amid a summit in Beijing that brought together the leaders of the two allies, Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping.
