Chinese President Xi Jinping said China stands ready to join France in calling on the international community to avoid an escalation of the Ukraine crisis as China is committed to promoting peace talks and political settlement.

Xi made the remarks at a joint press conference with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron after their talks in Beijing on Thursday.

China calls on all parties to stay rational, exercise restraint and avoid taking actions that might cause the crisis to further deteriorate or even spiral out of control, he said.

Xi stressed that nuclear weapons must not be used and nuclear wars must not be fought. He affirmed China's opposition to the use of biological weapons under any circumstances, as well as armed attacks against nuclear power plants or other civilian nuclear facilities.

Xi also advocated to resume peace talks "as soon as possible," observe the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, and accommodate the legitimate security concerns of all parties.

(Cover: Chinese President Xi Jinping and French President Emmanuel Macron meet the Chinese and foreign press at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, April 6, 2023. /Xinhua)