China, France support peace in Ukraine based on international law
The statement makes no specific reference to Beijing’s proposed peace plan or Kiev’s similar initiatives
China and France support a peaceful settlement in Ukraine based on UN principles and international law, and call on the parties to the conflict to respect humanitarian law, the two countries said this in a joint statement issued on Friday by the Elysee Palace following talks between Chinese President Xi Jinping and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron.
“Both sides support all efforts to restore peace in Ukraine on the basis of international law and the purposes and principles of the UN Charter,” the document said.
In addition, Beijing and Paris “stress the importance of strict compliance with international humanitarian law by all parties to the conflict.” As the statement specifies, it is primarily about “the protection of women, children and victims of the conflict,” as well as providing “safe, rapid and unimpeded access to humanitarian aid in accordance with international obligations.”
Meanwhile, the statement makes no specific reference to Beijing’s proposed peace plan or Kiev’s similar initiatives.
On February 24, the Chinese Foreign Ministry published a document with proposals for a political settlement of the Ukrainian crisis. It includes 12 points: calls for a cease-fire and cessation of hostilities, respect for the legitimate security interests and concerns of all countries, settlement of the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine, a prisoner swap between Moscow and Kiev, and refusal to impose unilateral sanctions without a relevant decision of the UN Security Council.
In a published document, China said that dialogue and negotiations was the only way to resolve the crisis in Ukraine and called on all sides to support Moscow and Kiev in moving toward each other, as well as to resume direct dialogue as soon as possible. It was stressed that the international community should create conditions and provide a platform for the resumption of negotiations.
