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7 Apr. (EUROPE PRESS) –
The President of France, Emmanuel Macron, and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, have issued a joint declaration this Friday in which they are committed to resolving the conflict in Ukraine based on International Law and following the principles contained in the Charter of the United Nations.
“Both countries stress the importance of scrupulously observing Humanitarian Law by all parties to the conflict,” states the document shared by the Elysee, which also stresses preventing armed attacks on nuclear power plants and guaranteeing security at the Zaporizhia power plant.
Likewise, Paris and Beijing have agreed on the importance of “promoting global security and stability”, with special attention to preventing a nuclear war and avoiding the arms race.
They have also agreed to increase coordination and cooperation to “safeguard” the effectiveness of arms controls and treaties for the non-proliferation of weapons, as well as move towards nuclear disarmament and the “peaceful use of nuclear energy”, according to of the document shared by the Élysée.
The text, however, does not mention Russia at any time and does not establish a ‘road map’ for the conflict in Ukraine beyond the fact that it must adhere to International Law, although it is true that China has committed to ” support any effort to restore peace in Ukraine”.
The French diplomacy noted the day before, on the occasion of the meeting between Macron and Xi, that the Chinese president had expressed his willingness to contact the Ukrainian president, Volodimir Zelenski.
However, although the president of the European Commission herself, Ursula von der Leyen, thanked the Chinese president for this position, neither the Chinese reports nor the joint declaration of Paris and Beijing include such a possibility.
Thus, Macron and Xi have agreed to “strengthen political dialogue and promote mutual political trust” with “annual meetings” between both heads of state and strengthening the exchange of positions at the economic and financial level, as well as in humanitarian matters.
