China, France call to end hostilities in Ukraine as Emmanuel Macron wraps up visit

At the end of the three-day China visit of French President Emmanuel Macron, Paris and Beijing on Friday called for restrain and diplomacy to resolve a year-long Ukrainian crisis which has resulted in thousands of lives with millions displaced, Anadolu Agency reported on Friday.

During a crucial visit, President Macron met with Chinese President Xi Jinping and discussed ways to resolve the deadly fight in Ukraine that started in February 2022 with the Russian “special military operation”.

In an official communique released after the meeting, it said, “both sides have agreed to strengthen political dialogue, promote mutual political trust, jointly promote world security and stability, and respond to global challenges together.”

"Both sides support all efforts to restore peace in Ukraine on the basis of international law and the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter," the joint statement read.

The statement was issued after Xi Jinping's meeting with Emmanuel Macron in the southeastern city of Guangzhou.

During the bilateral meeting, Xi reaffirmed China's call for a cease-fire in Ukraine, emphasizing that “China would welcome France presenting concrete proposals on a political resolution to the crisis.”

Xi said: "The continuation of the war would be of no benefit to any party."

While visiting China, Macron also addressed students at Sun Yat-Sen University in Guangzhou.

Speaking to the students, Macron said that "the war in Ukraine was a clear violation of international law and called for joint efforts for the preservation and reconstruction of the international order focused on peace and stability."

China has refrained from using the words "war" and occupation for the conflict and also abstained in a UN Security Council vote about Russia's annexations of parts of Ukraine.

China is among those countries that have not yet condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

On the anniversary of the Ukrainian crisis, a statement released by China highlighted Beijing's position on a political settlement to the war in Ukraine in 12 points. It also included the respect of each other’s territories, ending the conflict, resuscitating diplomatic engagements and putting an end to the humanitarian crisis,

The points by China also highlighted ensuring the safety and security of nuclear power plants, encouraging of unhindered supply of grain and end of unilateral sanctions stating that "dialogue and negotiation are the only viable solutions to the Ukraine crisis."