China did not confirm Stubb's words about Russia's nuclear deterrence

China did not confirm the statement by Finnish President Alexander Stubb that Beijing allegedly assured him of its readiness to prevent Russia from using nuclear weapons in the war against Ukraine. In response to a direct question about these words, the Chinese Foreign Ministry referred to the previously published position of China and did not disclose the content of closed negotiations.

The question was raised on September 1 at a regular briefing of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China. A journalist from Ukrinform reminded that Stubb spoke about assurances received from Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and asked Beijing to comment on the Finnish president's statement, Yicai reports.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun did not give a direct answer. He said that the Chinese side had already published information about Wang Yi's visit to Finland.

"China's position on the Ukrainian crisis and issues related to nuclear weapons is consistent and clear," — the Foreign Ministry spokesperson said.

According to him, Beijing will continue to advocate for peaceful negotiations and promote a political settlement of the war. At the same time, Guo Jiakun did not confirm that Wang Yi indeed promised Stubb to prevent Russia from using nuclear weapons. The Chinese diplomat also did not explicitly refute the Finnish president's words.

What Stubb said

Stubb made the statement in an interview with German Bild, published on August 29. Answering a question about the possibility of Russia using nuclear weapons against Ukraine, the President of Finland expressed confidence that this would not happen.

As one of the arguments, he referred to his conversation with Wang Yi during the Chinese minister's visit to Finland this summer. According to Stubb, he directly raised the issue of possible Russian use of nuclear weapons, and the Chinese Foreign Minister replied that China "would never allow this to happen."

Stubb called such a position by Beijing a sufficiently effective deterrent. The Finnish president also claimed that Russia is interested in maintaining fear of further escalation, including a possible nuclear strike or an attack on NATO countries.

What is known about the Stubb–Wang Yi meeting

The meeting between Stubb and Wang Yi took place on July 5, 2026, in Finnish Turku. The next day, the Chinese Foreign Ministry published an official report on the talks.

It mentioned Sino-Finnish relations, the international situation, development of cooperation in green economy and artificial intelligence, as well as interaction between the two countries on multilateral platforms. However, neither the possible use of nuclear weapons by Russia nor specifically Russia's war against Ukraine were mentioned in the report published by the Chinese side.

Therefore, the materials published by Beijing by themselves do not confirm Stubb's account of the content of this part of the conversation. The Chinese Foreign Ministry's response on September 1 did not bring clarity to the question of whether Wang Yi actually gave such an assurance to the Finnish president.

China's official position on nuclear weapons

At the same time, Beijing's broader position on nuclear escalation is known. In the Chinese plan for a political settlement of the war in Ukraine, published back in 2023, a separate point is dedicated to reducing strategic risks. China stated that nuclear weapons must not be used, nuclear war must not be fought, and the threat of using such weapons must be countered.

In February 2024, Wang Yi also stated that China adheres to a policy of no first use of nuclear weapons and undertakes not to use them against non-nuclear-weapon states, including Ukraine.

Thus, the current response of the Chinese Foreign Ministry is consistent with Beijing's public anti-nuclear position, but does not confirm Stubb's more specific assertion that the Chinese leadership is ready to use its influence on Moscow to prevent a Russian nuclear strike on Ukraine.

Based on materials: Yicai, Bild, China's Foreign Ministry