Abandonment of "Cold War" politics , safeguarding of nuclear power plants and the sovereignty of all countries .
These are just some of the 12 points that China has presented in a document expressing its position and point of view on the conflict between Kiev and Moscow . The text, reported by Beijing's Xinhua news agency , was published exactly one year after the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine . More than a plan for peace, it would seem an ideal path to achieve de-escalation. Below is the full text:
1. Respect the sovereignty of all countries. Universally recognized international law, including the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations , must be strictly observed. The sovereignty , independence and territorial integrity of all countries must be effectively upheld. All countries, large or small, strong or weak, rich or poor, are equal members of the international community. All parties should jointly uphold the basic norms governing international relations and uphold international fairness and justice. An equal and uniform application of international law should be promoted, while double standards must be rejected.
2. Abandon the Cold War mentality. One country's security should not be pursued at the expense of others. The security of a region should not be achieved by strengthening or expanding military blocs. The legitimate interests and security concerns of all countries must be taken seriously and adequately addressed. There is no simple solution to a complex problem. All parties should , following the vision of a common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security and with long-term world peace and stability in mind, contribute to building a balanced, effective and sustainable European security architecture . All sides should oppose the pursuit of their own security at the expense of the security of others , prevent inter-bloc confrontation, and work together for peace and stability on the Eurasian continent.
3. Cease hostilities. Conflict and war benefit no one. All parties must remain rational and exercise restraint, avoid stoking the fire and aggravating tensions, and prevent the crisis from escalating further or even spiraling out of control. All sides should support Russia and Ukraine to work in the same direction and resume direct dialogue as quickly as possible, so as to gradually de-escalate the situation and finally reach a comprehensive ceasefire.
4. Resume peace talks. Dialogue and negotiation are the only viable solution to the Ukrainian crisis. All efforts aimed at a peaceful resolution of the crisis must be encouraged and supported. The international community should remain committed to the right approach to promote peace talks, help the warring parties open the door to a political settlement as soon as possible, and create the conditions and platforms for the resumption of negotiations. China will continue to play a constructive role in this regard.
5. Solve the humanitarian crisis. All measures to alleviate the humanitarian crisis must be encouraged and supported. Humanitarian operations should follow the principles of neutrality and impartiality and humanitarian affairs should not be politicised. The safety of civilians must be effectively safeguarded and humanitarian corridors established for the evacuation of civilians from conflict zones. Efforts are needed to scale up humanitarian assistance in affected areas , improve humanitarian conditions, and provide rapid, safe and unhindered humanitarian access, in order to avert a larger-scale humanitarian crisis. The United Nations should be supported in playing a coordinating role in channeling humanitarian aid to conflict zones.
6. Protection of civilians and prisoners of war (POW). Parties to the conflict should strictly abide by international humanitarian law, refrain from attacking civilians or civilian structures, protect women, children and other victims of the conflict , and respect the fundamental rights of prisoners of war. China supports the exchange of prisoners of war between Russia and Ukraine and calls on all sides to create more favorable conditions for this purpose.
7. Keep nuclear power plants safe. China opposes armed attacks on nuclear power plants or other peaceful nuclear facilities and calls on all parties to abide by international law, including the Nuclear Safety Convention (NCS), and resolutely avoid man-made nuclear accidents . China supports the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in playing a constructive role in promoting the safety and security of peaceful nuclear facilities.
8. Reduction of strategic risks. Nuclear weapons must not be used and nuclear wars must not be fought. The threat or use of nuclear weapons should be resisted. Nuclear proliferation must be prevented and the nuclear crisis averted. China opposes the research, development and use of chemical and biological weapons by any country under any circumstances.
9. Facilitate grain exports. All parties must fully and effectively implement the Black Sea Grains Initiative signed by Russia, Turkey, Ukraine and the United Nations in a balanced way and support the United Nations to play an important role in this regard. China's proposed global food security cooperation initiative provides a viable solution to the global food crisis.
10. Stop unilateral sanctions. Unilateral sanctions and maximum pressure cannot resolve the issue; they only create new problems. China opposes unilateral sanctions not authorized by the United Nations Security Council . Affected countries should stop abusing unilateral sanctions and "long-arm jurisdiction" against other countries, so as to do their part to de-escalate the Ukrainian crisis and create the conditions for developing countries to grow their economies and improve the lives of their people.
11. Maintain stable industrial and supply chains. All parties should seriously maintain the current world economic system and oppose the use of the world economy as a tool or weapon for political purposes. Joint efforts are needed to mitigate the fallout of the crisis and prevent it from disrupting international cooperation in the fields of energy, finance, food trade and transport and jeopardizing the global economic recovery.
12. Promote post-conflict reconstruction. The international community must take steps to support post-conflict reconstruction in conflict zones. China stands ready to assist and play a constructive role in this effort .
(Unioneonline/vf)