Ukraine’s fundraising plea vanished in China as crypto donations pour in from around the world
- The Ukrainian embassy in China appeals for donations on Weibo, drawing criticisms from pro-Russia netizens
- People around the world donate to the Ukrainian government in cryptocurrencies, including bitcoin and ether
The embassy’s post, which called on people to donate in yuan, dollar, euro or sterling to Ukraine’s central bank, was originally published on Friday. It disappeared from the microblogging site Weibo, before the embassy published an identical post on Monday.
“To resist Russia’s armed invasion and safeguard Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, the National Bank of Ukraine has announced the opening of a special fundraising account,” the post read.
On Sunday, China Central Television (CCTV) reported on the embassy’s plea in a Weibo post, along with an image of the message, according to a screenshot widely circulated on Chinese social media. A hashtag on the news, which appeared in CCTV’s post, drew more than 3 million clicks on Monday.
Some pro-Russia netizens in China, however, saw CCTV’s post as an endorsement of Ukraine’s appeal for funds. Some alleged that Ukraine’s call for donations may constitute “illegal fundraising”.
The CCTV post has since been deleted.
It is unclear how many people in China offered donations to Ukraine. The Chinese government has refused to label Russia’s military action in Ukraine as an “invasion”, and China’s foreign ministry has said it opposes economic sanctions.