Chinese President Xi Jinping pledged today to “support every effort for her return of peace to Ukraine»according to the joint statement issued at the end of the French president’s visit to China Emmanuel Macron.

The two countries “oppose armed attacks against nuclear power plants and other civilian nuclear installations” and support the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) “for guaranteeing the safety of the Zaporizhia station”.

The joint statement does not mention Russia and does not call for the withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine. Vladimir Putin’s military intervention is also not condemned.

The joint statement states “the importance of all (involved) sides in the conflict” to respect “exactly” international humanitarian law.

On Thursday in Beijing, Macron had urged Chinese President Xi Jinping to “bring Russia to its senses” against Ukraine, during a meeting that ended with calls for peace talks.

On the French side, they assure that Xi Jinping is willing to call his Ukrainian counterpart for the first time since the start of the conflict, although he has clarified that he will do so when he himself decides.

An initiative that does not appear in the Chinese minutes or the joint statement.

China published a 12-point document in February outlining its position on the conflict in Ukraine.

The initiative, which is sometimes seen as a peace plan, mainly encourages Moscow and Kiev to negotiate.

Beijing had not recognized in September the unilateral accession of the four Ukrainian territories to the Russian Federation, nor in 2014 the annexation of Crimea.

The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in a statement it issued, states that President Xi declared that a political settlement is the only “right” way out of the crisis in Ukraine.

All sides should meet halfway to create the conditions for a political settlement, Xi told the French president over dinner today in the Chinese city of Guangzhou, according to the statement.

China and France reiterated their commitment to promote the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons, nuclear disarmament and the peaceful use of nuclear energy, the joint statement carried by the official Xinhua news agency also said.

The two countries support all efforts to restore peace in Ukraine based on international law and the principles of the UN Charter and oppose armed attacks on nuclear power plants, Xinhua reported.

China and France are willing to work together to solve the economic difficulties of developing economies and emerging markets, the joint statement said.

Both countries emphasized their support for a rules-based multilateral trading system with the World Trade Organization at its core, according to the joint statement.