[Salon] China affirms ‘no nukes’ position amid claims of European plan to arm Ukraine

[Chas Freeman <cwfresidence@gmail.com>]

China affirms ‘no nukes’ position amid claims of European plan to arm Ukraine

While Moscow accuses London and Paris of preparing to give nuclear weapons to Kyiv, Beijing doubles down

SCMP

Orange Wang

Published: 2:00pm, 26 Feb 2026Updated: 3:13pm, 26 Feb 2026

China has doubled down on its hard line against any nuclear escalation in Ukraine and called for restraint following Russia’s claims that Britain and France are planning to give Kyiv nuclear weapons.

Asked on Wednesday about Moscow’s accusation towards the two European nations, Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning urged all sides to avoid actions that could cause misunderstandings or escalate tensions.

“We call on relevant parties to remain calm, exercise restraint and avoid any moves that may lead to misunderstanding and miscalculation and even escalation,” Mao said, adding that she was “not familiar with the specifics”.

Still, she noted, “China always believes that nuclear weapons must not be used, a nuclear war must not be fought and international non-proliferation obligations should be earnestly observed”.

Mao’s reaffirmation of Beijing’s stance comes as China’s position on the Russian invasion of Ukraine is under renewed international scrutiny, with the deadliest conflict in Europe since World War II entering its fifth year.

In a meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Beijing on Wednesday, President Xi Jinping reiterated China’s support for “consistent dialogue” on the war. He also called for equal participation by all parties and consideration of each one’s legitimate concerns.

The two leaders backed efforts to achieve a ceasefire and lasting peace based on the UN Charter and the principles of the United Nations, according to a joint statement released after the talks.

Xi, Merz vow to strengthen Sino-German ties

China’s role in dissuading Russia from resorting to nuclear weapons is widely regarded as one of its most significant contributions to easing the situation.

In an article published on the Ukraine embassy’s website last week, Olexander Nechytaylo, Kyiv’s top envoy to Beijing, spoke highly of China’s opposition to the use of nuclear weapons and other instruments of mass destruction. “This is an important signal for global security,” he wrote.

Xi warned in November 2022 – just over a month after Russian President Vladimir Putin threatened Ukraine with a nuclear strike – that the international community should “jointly oppose the use of, or threats to use, nuclear weapons”.

The Chinese leader, who was speaking during a meeting with then German chancellor Olaf Scholz, also called on the world to “advocate that nuclear weapons cannot be used and nuclear wars must not be fought” to prevent a nuclear crisis in Europe or Asia.

The message was echoed by a “six-point common understanding on the political settlement of the Ukraine crisis” that was issued by China and Brazil in May 2024.

However, Tammy Bruce, US deputy representative to the United Nations, lashed out during a Security Council gathering on Tuesday, saying “China remains a decisive enabler of Russia’s war machine”.

“If China truly wants peace, it should immediately end exports of dual-use goods and stop purchasing Russian oil,” she added.

Later in the same session, Fu Cong, Beijing’s top envoy to the UN, pushed back against the accusation, calling it “completely unacceptable” and describing it as having “smeared and vilified” China.

“We’ve not provided lethal weapons to any party to the conflict and we have consistently exercised strict controls over dual-use items,” Fu said.

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Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service said on Tuesday that London and Paris were “actively” working on providing Kyiv with “nuclear or at least so-called dirty bombs” and the means to deliver them. It offered no evidence for the accusation, which was rejected by both Britain and France.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday characterised the comments from Russia as possible political pressure and preparation for the next meetings between Kyiv, Washington and Moscow.

Addressing a board meeting of the Russian security service on Tuesday, Putin said Moscow’s opponents understood how an attack on Russia using a nuclear component could end.

The issue of nuclear arms control has become an increasingly notable fault line since the treaty limiting missile and warhead deployments by the United States and Russia – known as New Start – expired earlier this month.

Speaking at the UN-backed Conference on Disarmament in Geneva on Monday, Christopher Yeaw, the US assistant secretary of state for arms control and non-proliferation, again accused China of conducting nuclear tests.

He also said that Moscow had helped boost Beijing’s capacity to expand its arsenal, calling on both countries to join a multilateral strategic stability process.

At the same event, Shen Jian, China’s ambassador for disarmament affairs, rejected the US accusation of nuclear testing as “groundless”.

He added that it was “not fair, reasonable or realistic” to ask China to join trilateral nuclear arms control talks, pointing out that the nuclear policies and strategic environment of China and the US were “totally different”.

Orange Wang

Based in Beijing, Orange covers a range of topics including China's economy and diplomacy. He