The EU's top diplomat, High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas, confirmed that the EU had verified relevant reports and confirmed that the Chinese military has been training Russian military personnel to fight in Ukraine, a development that may deepen bilateral tensions.
Hong Kong's "South China Morning Post" reported that after chairing a meeting of the 27 EU foreign ministers in Luxembourg on the 15th, Callas said that the EU was "carefully assessing the impact of this assessment" and said that the foreign ministers of various countries had agreed to sanction several Chinese entities during the debate.
Although the former Estonian prime minister did not further explain his remarks or the nature of Beijing's alleged support, Reuters reported last month that China secretly trained about 200 Russian military personnel in 2025, some of whom have returned to Ukraine to fight in the war.
Reuters reported that the training mainly focused on the use of drones and was recorded in a Russian-Chinese bilingual agreement signed by senior Chinese and Russian military officers in Beijing on July 2, 2025. As part of the deal, hundreds of Chinese soldiers will also receive training in Russia.
In May this year, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs denied the Reuters report and declared that "on the Ukrainian crisis, China has always upheld an objective and fair position and is committed to promoting peace and talks."
Beijing insists it remains neutral in the war in Ukraine. China insists its trade with Russia does not constitute military support, despite European accusations that China is the main bankroller of Russia's war front, leading to a raft of sanctions targeting Chinese entities.
The war in Ukraine has lasted longer than the First World War and has led to the deterioration of relations between Europe and China. In much of Europe, Beijing is seen as aligned with Moscow. Karas said on the 15th: "Beijing remains the decisive promoter of Russia's war in Ukraine."
The latest documents released show that two Chinese companies and one Hong Kong company were included in the EU's list of sanctions for assisting the Russian military.
The companies include Xinxiang Richful Lubricant Additive Company, said to be "one of China's largest manufacturers and distributors of lubricant additives...providing chemical additives for machinery lubricants to the Russian military"; equipment supplier Shenzhen Minghuaxin; and Hong Kong-based Nord Axis Ltd, which is accused of helping "transport and export Russian oil and operating Russia's so-called "Shadow Fleet" fleet)' ships.
However, on the 15th, foreign ministers also suspended controls on Chinese chip manufacturer Yangzhou Yangjie Electronics, which was sanctioned in the last round of measures aimed at combating Russia's war machine. The move was to allow European automakers to fulfill existing orders.
EU companies can currently gradually terminate existing contracts with the company until December 31, 2026, and the procurement of key components can be continued until March 16, 2027, to allow time to find alternative suppliers.
The geopolitical stalemate is further exacerbated by the ongoing trade dispute, which has worsened in recent months.
The heads of state of the 27 EU countries will discuss on the 18th whether a new trade strategy is needed to deal with the market-distorting impact that Brussels sees as China's industrial overcapacity, state subsidies and currency depreciation.
Before that, EU leaders will discuss macroeconomic imbalances with the heads of members of the Group of Seven Major Industrial Countries (G7), including those originating from China.
Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, said at a press conference before the opening of the G7 Summit held in Evian, France, on the 15th that 2025 will be remembered as the first year in history that all EU member states experienced a trade deficit with China. The EU faced the largest trade deficit in history, reaching 360 billion euros (approximately NT$13.585 billion). "This is of course unsustainable."
Von der Leyen is expected to strongly promote the need for new trade weapons to EU leaders at the summit in Brussels on the 18th to deal with Beijing's "unfair practices."
The EU leaders' summit held from the 18th to the 19th comes at a time when all parties are re-engaging with Beijing to avoid a potential trade war. Brussels is determined to press ahead with plans to "de-risk" its relationship with China, but is trying to convince Beijing that its policies are more about protecting European industry than punishing companies from China.
Karas said at the press conference that from market-distorting subsidies, growing trade imbalances, to near-monopolies on key raw materials, "the list of problems is still very long"; reducing dependence on China is neither easy nor cheap, "but it is very necessary and urgent. Some member states have called for the EU to use our trade tools more forcefully."
For related news, please see:
Secret agreement exposed! The EU confirms that hundreds of Russian troops have been trained in China and deployed on the front line in Ukraine
