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Марія БровінськаWar
11 April 2025, 09:24
2025-04-11
"You are a man. Be one. Serve under a contract." Russians are recruiting Chinese for the war against Ukraine on social media. How this mechanism works
The Russians are spreading numerous promotional videos on Chinese social media, inviting Chinese citizens to join the army and fight against Ukraine. Some of the videos are skillfully crafted Russian propaganda about «cool» men; some are more like influencer ads about work vacations. Others are screenshots taken by ordinary citizens who are about to leave China. But they all have one thing in common: they call for becoming a Chinese mercenary for Russia.
The Russians are spreading numerous promotional videos on Chinese social media, inviting Chinese citizens to join the army and fight against Ukraine. Some of the videos are skillfully crafted Russian propaganda about «cool» men; some are more like influencer ads about work vacations. Others are screenshots taken by ordinary citizens who are about to leave China. But they all have one thing in common: they call for becoming a Chinese mercenary for Russia.
On Tuesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that two Chinese citizens had been captured in eastern Donetsk region and accused Moscow of trying to draw China «directly or indirectly» into the conflict. A day later, he said the men were among at least 155 other Chinese servicemen in the Russian armed forces. He accused Russia of conducting «systematic work» in China to recruit fighters.
China claims, writes The Guardian, that it is a neutral party to the conflict, although its leader Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin are public allies, and the partnership between their countries has no restrictions.
Zelensky demanded answers from Beijing, accusing it of turning a blind eye to Russia’s recruitment of its own citizens. Russia is known to have used or attempted to recruit foreign mercenaries or soldiers — including from North Korea, Syria and Libya — during the conflict. He said Russia recruited Chinese fighters through ads on Chinese social media platforms such as Douyin, China’s version of TikTok, and that Beijing knew about it.
Numerous recruitment videos are easily found on Chinese social media, all of which emphasize the salaries offered, which range from 60,000 to 200,000 yuan (£6,000 to £21,000) as a sign-up bonus and a monthly salary of around 18,000 yuan (£1,900).
One video, which has racked up hundreds of thousands of views across platforms, appears to be a Russian advertisement with Chinese subtitles. It shows Caucasian-looking men leaving their jobs to fight, asking viewers: «Do you want to show your strength here? Is this the path you aspire to? You are a strong man, be like them!»
China claims to be a neutral party to the conflict, although its leader Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin are public allies, and the partnership between their countries has no restrictions.
Zelensky demanded answers from Beijing, accusing it of turning a blind eye to the Russian recruitment of its own citizens. Russia is known to have used or attempted to recruit foreign mercenaries or soldiers — including from North Korea, Syria and Libya — during the conflict. Chinese fighters are recruited through advertisements on Chinese social media platforms such as Douyin, the Chinese equivalent of TikTok.
Numerous recruitment videos are easily found on Chinese social media, all of which emphasize the salaries offered, which range from 60,000 to 200,000 yuan (£6,000 to £21,000) as a sign-up bonus and a monthly salary of around 18,000 yuan (£1,900).
One video, which has racked up hundreds of thousands of views across platforms, appears to be a Russian advertisement with Chinese subtitles. It shows Caucasian-looking men leaving their jobs to fight, asking viewers: «Do you want to show your strength here? Is this the path you aspire to? You are a strong man, be like them!»
Another popular video in which a person claims to have already been recruited. «Due to the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, I am going there after the new year,» the would-be soldier said in December, accompanying screenshots with information on how to sign up for service.
In another clip, a Russian influencer addresses his more than 300,000 followers in Chinese, advertising the financial benefits of joining the Russian army: joining bonuses and monthly payments from the Russian government and military, as well as housing, medical care, and childcare benefits.
«Experienced trainers train with the best professional equipment,» she says. «In Moscow, anyone under the age of 60 can sign up, regardless of whether they have served in the military abroad. Foreign and Russian citizens can sign up voluntarily.»
The reaction to such provocations was mixed, as was the reaction to posts from Chinese people who reported that they were signing up for the army. Some asked how they could join, whether not knowing Russian was an obstacle. «Is there a team in Shanxi? Take me. I already have a passport ready and I can leave at any time,» wrote one user.
Many have noted that the salaries offered are higher than what they were earning in China. Comments are common that people are signing up to become «cannon fodder.»
Three weeks ago, Chinese journalist and writer Chai Jing interviewed a Chinese citizen who joined the Russian army in November 2023, arriving in Russia on a tourist visa. The soldier told her that he had been in Bakhmut as part of an «assault group» near the front line. He said that «money played a role» in his decision to join, but that he was mainly driven by the fact that he had never been to war, despite serving in the Chinese armed forces.
He suggested that he could have joined either side, but there were more Chinese fighters on the Russian side, probably because visas were easier to obtain and because they believed Russia was helping China. But he wanted to show people at home what the «brutal» reality was.
«I realized that I might die here one day, so I decided to share my real experience, as the Chinese people haven’t experienced war in a long time,» he said, adding that he hoped China would plan a stable role and «refrain from starting or joining wars.»
Interestingly, Chinese soldiers are also on the side of Ukraine, notes Chai Jing, who has spoken with those fighting against Russia. Ukraine denies recruiting mercenaries, but allows foreign volunteers to become part of its armed forces.
Comments from Chinese officials suggest that people are joining the armed forces on their own initiative, although officials in Beijing have said the idea that significant numbers of people are taking part in the war is «absolutely baseless.»
