Reuters Exclusive: Chinese Military Training for Russians Raises New Questions Before Xi-Putin Summit
Reuters reports that Russian military personnel were covertly trained by China’s armed forces, sharpening scrutiny of Beijing’s role as Putin visits China.
HONG KONG | A Reuters exclusive has raised new questions about China’s role in Russia’s war effort just as President Xi Jinping prepares to host Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Reuters reported that about 200 Russian military personnel were covertly trained by China’s armed forces in late 2025, according to European intelligence agencies. The training reportedly included drones, electronic warfare, army aviation and armored-infantry skills, with some personnel later returning to the war in Ukraine.
The report is significant because China has repeatedly presented itself as neutral in the Ukraine war while maintaining close economic and diplomatic ties with Russia. Training Russian personnel would represent a more direct form of military support than public messaging has acknowledged.
Reuters reported that the program was formalized through a bilateral agreement and that some of those trained were instructors capable of passing knowledge down to other Russian units. That would make the training potentially more important than a one-time exchange.
China has denied providing lethal aid to either side in the war. The Reuters report does not necessarily say China transferred weapons, but training can still be strategically valuable, especially in drone warfare and electronic warfare, two areas that have become central to the battlefield.
The timing intensifies the diplomatic stakes. Putin’s visit to China is already being watched for signs of deeper energy, trade and strategic alignment. The training report adds a security layer that Western governments will not ignore.
Ukraine and its supporters have long argued that Russia benefits from Chinese industrial capacity, dual-use goods and diplomatic cover. Beijing argues it is not a party to the conflict and says it supports peace.
The question now is how the United States and Europe respond. If the report is treated as evidence of direct Chinese military support, it could increase pressure for sanctions, export controls or diplomatic confrontation.
The report also complicates China’s effort to project itself as a stable global power. Hosting Putin after Trump’s visit may signal diplomatic confidence, but the military-training allegation makes Beijing’s balancing act harder.
For readers, the core issue is not symbolism. It is battlefield capability. Training in drones and electronic warfare can affect how Russian forces fight, defend and adapt.
What this means
This matters because training can strengthen a military without transferring weapons.
The report puts pressure on Beijing’s neutrality claim and gives Western governments a new question to answer before and after the Xi-Putin meeting.