---
title: "Beijing Did Not Confirm Stubb's Claim That China Guaranteed Nuclear Deterrence Against Russia"
description: "China's Foreign Ministry did not confirm the words of Finnish President Stubb that Beijing guaranteed it would not allow Russia to use nuclear weapons against Ukraine. Guo Jiakun limited himself to noting a \"clear and consistent\" position of the PRC."
date: 2026-09-01T12:40:07.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/beijing-did-not-confirm-stubbs-claim-of-chinese-nuclear-deterrence-guarantee
tags: [china, finland, stubb, nuclear-deterrence, russia-ukraine, mfa-china, guo-jiakun]
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# Beijing Did Not Confirm Stubb's Claim That China Guaranteed Nuclear Deterrence Against Russia

![Alexander Stubb, Prime Minister of Finland, in front of the Finnish flag: Beijing did not confirm his claim about China's guarantee of nuclear deterrence of Russia](https://xab.info/media/2026/09/01/pekin-ne-podtverdil-slova-stubba-o-garantii-po-yadernomu-sderzhivaniyu/pekin-ne-podtverdil-slova-stubba-o-garantii-po-yadernomu-sderzhivaniyu-1.webp)

## 🎯 Key Points

- Stubb stated that China's Foreign Ministry, during its summer visit to Helsinki, promised to "never allow" Russia to use nuclear weapons against Ukraine
- PRC Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun did not confirm Stubb's specific wording, limiting himself to the general formula of a "clear and consistent" position
- Stubb also assessed Russia's escalation options as limited and called on the EU to maintain dialogue with Moscow

The President of Finland, Alexander Stubb, previously stated publicly that China would not allow Russia to use nuclear weapons against Ukraine. According to him, during the summer visit of the Chinese Foreign Minister to Helsinki, he raised the issue of possible nuclear escalation, to which the Chinese diplomat replied: "We will never allow this to happen." Stubb called this a "sufficiently effective deterrent factor" and emphasized that, in his assessment, Moscow's options for further escalation of the conflict remain limited.

### Response from China's Foreign Ministry: a "clear and consistent" position, but no guarantees

However, in Beijing, the specific wording of the Finnish president was not confirmed. A spokesperson for China's Foreign Ministry, Guo Jiakun, stated at a briefing that China's position on the Ukrainian conflict and the nuclear issue is "clear and consistent." At the same time, the Chinese department did not confirm Stubb's words that Beijing was allegedly ready to "not allow" Russia to use nuclear weapons against Ukraine. In effect, the Chinese side limited itself to restating its general diplomatic line, taking on no specific commitments toward Kyiv or Helsinki.

### Contradictory data

There is a significant discrepancy between the statements of the two sides. Stubb claims that he received a direct promise from the Chinese Foreign Minister: "We will never allow this to happen." China's Foreign Ministry, in turn, does not confirm the existence of such a promise, limiting itself to noting a "clear and consistent" position. Neither side denies the fact of the meeting itself, however, the interpretation of what was said there differs fundamentally: Helsinki interprets the words as a guarantee of deterrence, while Beijing — as a reflection of a general diplomatic line without specific commitments. Until a transcript of the briefing or a comment from Finland's Foreign Ministry on the substance of the Chinese diplomat's wording is obtained, the question remains open.

### Context: Stubb's assessment of escalation risks

In the same interview, Stubb stated that Russia's options for further escalation of the war are "sufficiently limited," and that the main remaining tool for Moscow to increase pressure is mobilization, which, in his view, would carry serious domestic political consequences. The politician also emphasized that Europe, despite hybrid attacks from Russia, should maintain political dialogue with Moscow and seek ways to restore contacts. These statements came against the backdrop of ongoing discussions within the EU on the format of future negotiations with Russia and the conditions for a possible ceasefire.

### Significance of the discrepancy for the diplomatic track

The mismatch between the Helsinki and Beijing versions on the issue of nuclear deterrence is significant for assessing the real levers of influence that China holds over Moscow. If Beijing deliberately avoids public guarantees, this may indicate a reluctance to take on commitments that would prove unfulfillable in the event of escalation. At the same time, for Kyiv and European capitals, the lack of direct confirmation from China weakens the argument about the "Chinese deterrent factor," which a number of European politicians had previously cited in security discussions.

## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification

- [In China, they responded on whether guarantees were given on nuclear deterrence of Russia](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/kitayi-vidpovili-chi-davali-garantiyi-shchodo-1788266240.html) - Основной источник: РБК-Украина со ссылкой на yicai.com. Подтверждает заявление Го Цзякуня о «чёткой и последовательной» позиции и отсутствие подтверждения слов Стубба.
- [Stubb said whether Russia can use nuclear weapons in the war with Ukraine](https://donpress.com/news/30-08-2026-stubb-skazal-mozhet-li-rf-primenit-yadernoe-oruzhie-v-voyne-s-ukrainoy) - Подтверждает первоначальное заявление Стубба о визите китайского министра и его словах «Мы никогда не позволим, чтобы это произошло», а также оценку эскалационных рисков.
- [Guo Jiakun](https://snob.ru/tag/ai/11596/) - Тег-страница с упоминанием Го Цзякуня; используется как косвенное подтверждение личности спикера МИД КНР.

## ❓ FAQ

### Q: What exactly did Stubb say about China's position?
**A:** Stubb stated that during the summer visit of the Chinese Foreign Minister to Helsinki, he raised the issue of nuclear weapons, and the Chinese diplomat replied: "We will never allow this to happen." Stubb called this an effective deterrent factor.

### Q: Did China's Foreign Ministry confirm Stubb's words?
**A:** No. PRC Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun stated that China's position on the Ukrainian conflict and the nuclear issue is "clear and consistent," but did not confirm the specific promise to "not allow" the use of nuclear weapons that Stubb mentioned.

### Q: What other statements did Stubb make in the same interview?
**A:** Stubb stated that Russia's options for escalation are limited, that the main remaining tool is mobilization with domestic political consequences, and called on the EU to maintain political dialogue with Moscow despite hybrid attacks.