Xi Jinping calls for "maximum restraint" when speaking about war in Ukraine.
The Chinese president described the situation in Ukraine as "worrying" and said the priority should be to prevent it from escalating or "getting out of control."
BEIJING, March 8 (Reuters) Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday called for "maximum restraint" in Ukraine and said China "is saddened to see the flames of war reignite in Europe," state media reported, in his strongest statement yet on the conflict.
Xi, speaking at a virtual meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, said the three countries should jointly support peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, Chinese state broadcaster CCTV reported.
Xi described the situation in Ukraine as "worrying" and said the priority should be to prevent it from escalating or "getting out of control," CCTV said.
He also said that France and Germany should make efforts to mitigate the negative impacts of the crisis and expressed concern about the impact of sanctions on the stability of global finance, energy supply, transportation, and supply chains.
China, which has refused to condemn Russia's actions in Ukraine or call them an invasion, has repeatedly expressed its opposition to what it describes as illegal sanctions against Russia.
China's friendship with Russia, strengthened last month when President Vladimir Putin attended the opening ceremony of the Beijing Winter Olympics on the same day the countries declared a "limitless" strategic partnership, has become strained for China as the war in Ukraine escalates.
Moscow describes its actions in Ukraine as a "special operation" to disarm its neighbor and oust leaders it calls neo-Nazis. Ukraine and its Western allies call this a baseless pretext for an invasion to conquer a country of 44 million people.
Subscribe to 247, Support via Pix, Subscribe to TV 247, in the channel Cuts 247 and watch: