Guangzhou (agencies)
Chinese President Xi Jinping and French President Emmanuel Macron pledged, in a joint declaration yesterday, to support all efforts aimed at restoring peace to Ukraine, and their commitment to strengthening efforts for nuclear non-proliferation, nuclear disarmament, and the peaceful use of this energy.
The declaration stressed that the two countries “oppose armed attacks on nuclear power plants and other peaceful nuclear facilities” and support the efforts made by the International Atomic Energy Agency “to ensure the safety of the Zaporizhia nuclear plant.”
The joint declaration stressed the importance for all parties to the conflict to “strictly” respect international humanitarian law.
Yesterday, the French President urged his Chinese counterpart to “bring Russia back to its senses” with regard to Ukraine, and implored him not to supply Moscow with weapons, in a meeting at which the two presidents called for peace talks.
According to Paris, the Chinese president, during his meeting with Macron, expressed his readiness to contact Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the appropriate time.
None of the Chinese reports or the French-Chinese joint declaration mentioned this initiative.
Xi said reaching a political settlement is the only “correct” way to solve the Ukraine crisis.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry quoted Xi as telling his French counterpart that “all parties must accept a compromise to create favorable conditions for a political settlement.”
In February, Beijing published a 12-point document urging Moscow and Kiev to enter into peace negotiations.
China did not recognize Moscow’s unilateral annexation of 4 Ukrainian regions to the Russian Federation in September, nor did it recognize Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014.
#China #France #Political #settlement #solve #Ukraine #crisis