<
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/dec/30/former-chinese-police-officer-bringing-bubble-tea-to-wartorn-ukraine>
"Are you looking for a way to stay sane in an environment that has been torn
apart by war? Then perhaps what you need is a bubble tea.
That is the philosophy guiding Brother Dong, a Chinese-German volunteer in
Ukraine. The 52-year-old former officer in China’s People’s Armed Police drives
once a month from his home in Frankfurt to collect a haul of tapioca pearls
from a warehouse in Berlin. From there he drives across Poland to reach
Ukraine.
Brother Dong, who asked that the
Guardian use his nickname for privacy
reasons, is one of a small handful of Chinese volunteers in Ukraine. For him,
the tapioca pearls are an opportunity to show his support for a country under
siege by China’s biggest ally.
For many other Chinese people in Ukraine, support for Kyiv comes from a
distrust of authoritarianism. With no way of expressing their political beliefs
in China, Ukraine has become a forum in which some Chinese feel they can play a
more active role in the global struggle between democracy and dictatorship. But
their support comes at a price: harassment from Beijing, for themselves and
their families."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
