| Advertisement |
April 7 (UPI) -- France and China released a joint statement calling for peace in Ukraine as French President Emmanuel Macron concluded a visit to Beijing. In the joint statement, both nations said they "support all efforts to restore peace in Ukraine on the basis of international law and the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations."
Advertisement
They called specifically for the protection of women and children who had been affected by the conflict, as Russian President Vladimir Putin and Children's Commissioner Maria Lvova-Belova face arrest warrants from the International Criminal Court, which accuses them of illegally transferring children from Ukraine to Russia.
The two nations also agreed to "provide safe, rapid and unimpeded access for humanitarian aid in accordance with international commitments."
France and China further condemned attacks on nuclear power plants, including Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant, and supported the International Atomic Energy Agency's efforts at promoting nuclear safety, as its commissioner, Rafael Grossi, said last month that military activity surrounding the plant was "increasing."
The two nations reiterated their commitment that "a nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought."
The joint declaration comes following the state visit which saw Macron, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen travel to Beijing to attempt to encourage Chinese President Xi Jinping to reason with Russia to end the war.
Xi on Thursday, however, held that "all sides" have security concerns in Russia's invasion of Ukraine and that peace talks should take place with the concerns of both nations in mind.
The statement also said France "reaffirms its commitment to the police of one China" which expresses that China views Taiwan as a wayward province that it will take back by force if necessary.
The commitment comes as China deployed warships near Taiwan as President Tsai Ing-wen met with U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and sanctioned the Washington-based think tank Hudson Institute and the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, two U.S. institutions that hosted her visit.
In the statement, France and China also pledged to strengthen their strategic dialogue and promote economic exchanges and to relaunch "human and cultural exchanges."
"France and China agree to deepen exchanges on strategic issues and in particular to deepen dialogue between the Southern Theater of the People's Liberation Army of China and the Command of French forces in the Asia-Pacific Zone (ALPACI), in order to strengthen mutual understanding of regional and international security issues," the joint declaration said.
Both countries also agreed to make efforts to preserve food market stability and to avoid "unjustified restrictions on exports of inputs and agricultural products" to smooth supply chains, starting with the facilitation of grain and fertilizer exports.
