What Xi Jinping's Moscow visit won't show: The Chinese dying for Russia

Chinese President Xi Jinping is set to visit Russia from May 7-10 to join President Vladimir Putin for the 80th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany. He will also hold talks to deepen strategic ties and witness the signing of a raft of bilateral agreements.

But the pageantry of Xi’s Moscow trip comes with rising geopolitical and moral costs: a growing number of Chinese nationals are fighting in Ukraine-mostly for Russia-and many are coming back dead, mutilated, or broken.

Some survivors have begun to speak out, warning others not to make the same mistake.

“I have to speak out some truths and warn those irrational Chinese -don’t come over here,” said one Chinese fighter, nicknamed Michael, who told CNN he was locked in a steel-barred pit by Russian commanders for 21 days after a dispute over body armor.

Why it matters
Xi’s appearance beside Putin sends a global signal that Beijing remains steadfast in its partnership with Moscow-despite the war, Western sanctions, and a swirl of allegations about China’s tacit military support for Russia.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has publicly accused China of supplying gunpowder and dual-use components for Russian weapons, and said more than 150 Chinese nationals have joined Moscow’s war effort.

“We are not saying that someone gave any command. We do not have such information,” Zelenskyy said. “But we are investigating.”

Beijing, while insisting it remains “neutral,” has denied any state involvement, calling the allegations “groundless.” But it acted swiftly: Chinese censors began erasing social media accounts of mercenaries like Michael who had posted about their wartime experiences.

The big picture

• The backdrop to Xi’s visit is a war entering its third year and a global order in flux. Moscow and Beijing declared a “no limits” partnership in early 2022-just weeks before Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
• That alliance has since expanded to include economic lifelines, diplomatic cover, and military cooperation that has raised alarms across Western capitals.
• Putin, speaking in a state TV documentary on the eve of Xi’s visit, described the relationship as “deep-seated” and “truly strategic in nature.”
• A Chinese foreign ministry spokesman said both countries will “lead global governance in the correct direction” and work against “unilateralism and bullying acts.”
• But this show of unity is shadowed by the stories of Chinese men-lured by pay, propaganda, or patriotism-who now say they were treated as expendable.

Xi’s tightrope
The Chinese state maintains a delicate line: politically supportive of Russia, economically helpful, militarily aloof. Beijing purchases vast quantities of Russian oil and gas, sells dual-use components that sustain the war effort, and repeats Moscow’s talking points about Nato provocation. At the same time, it insists on “non-interference” and denies supplying arms or fighters.

But the existence of Chinese boots on the ground - even if unofficial - makes that line harder to walk. Some Chinese fighters have clearly entered the war as freelancers, using tourist visas and connecting with Wagner or Russian regular units once inside. But others, like the two men captured by Ukraine, raise the uncomfortable question: just how unofficial is this unofficial war?

If Chinese nationals continue to die in a war Beijing won’t acknowledge, how long before public pressure forces Xi’s hand - diplomatically, legally, or otherwise?

So far, the response has been silence.

What they are saying
Michael, a 29-year-old Chinese national and former member of the People’s Liberation Army, told CNN he joined Wagner in 2023 after seeing a Chinese-subtitled Russian military recruitment video on Douyin (China’s TikTok).

• “As a former professional soldier in China, I thought there had to be a way for me to contribute,” he said. “Now I know it was a mistake.”
• Michael is not alone.
• As per an Economist report, Zhou Zhiqiang, another mercenary, told followers that Russian commanders treated them as “cannon fodder.”
• Zhao Rui, a 38-year-old from Chongqing, joined to fight “any Japanese helping Ukraine” and died after being hit by a drone.
• Others complained of poor gear, hunger, psychological torment, and being thrown into suicidal missions.
• One former Chinese prison guard who fought with Russia said he did it out of a vague hero complex, not money. But now, back home, he’s under travel restrictions-possibly linked to his service.
• “The world’s number two military is a sheer joke,” Michael said of Russia, citing corruption, cruelty, and incompetent leadership. “They don’t care how many of us are killed.”

Zoom in: Recruitment and regrets
Chinese fighters say they were attracted by Russian military propaganda promising up to 200,000 rubles ($2,400) a month and bonuses for territory captured—much more than they earned back home.
The social media ads played to nationalism and masculinity: “Aren’t you a man? Be a real man!” read one in Chinese.
But behind the bravado lies brutal reality:

• Michael said Russian soldiers who complained were caged, beaten, or disappeared.
• One Chinese fighter died trying to escape the front.
• Videos from Chinese mercenaries have shown poor shelter, frostbite, and funerals for fellow countrymen.
• Many described the front as a “conveyor belt of death.”

Despite the horrors, Beijing has said little. But the quick censorship of social media posts indicates officials are aware-and wary-of the narrative spinning out of control.
Between the lines

• While Ukraine has also used foreign fighters, including a handful of Chinese nationals motivated by ideology, most Chinese combatants in this war have joined Russia. Their motives range from money and disillusionment to nationalistic fervor.
• “I just want to wander,” one fighter told CNN. “As a man, I have had a kind of hero complex since my childhood.”
• Yet, many said they were misled-by Chinese state media’s pro-Russia framing, by fellow mercenaries on Douyin, and by their own illusions.
• Jason, a Chinese-American volunteer who fought with Ukraine’s International Legion, said he joined partly out of a belief in protecting Taiwan. His great-grandfather died fighting the Chinese Communists. “Most Chinese people are brainwashed,” he said.
• Sophie, a Chinese PhD student hoping to join Ukraine’s forces, said time abroad shattered her trust in Chinese state messaging. “I used to be pretty indifferent to politics,” she told CNN. “Not anymore.”

What’s next
Xi and Putin will present their partnership as a stabilizing force amid global disorder. Behind closed doors, they’ll likely ink new energy, defense, and trade deals-further insulating each other from Western sanctions.
But on the battlefield, the fallout is growing.
Ukraine says it will continue investigating whether Chinese citizens are being encouraged-or allowed-to fight on Russia’s side. And as more survivors speak out, the human cost is cutting through China’s Great Firewall.
(With inputs from agencies)