China, Russia Presidents Sign Joint Statement on ABM Issue

President Jiang Zemin and visiting Russian President Vladimir Putin Tuesday signed a joint statement on the anti-ballistic missile issue.

The statement says the development of the international situation fully proves the correctness of three documents: the joint statement on the Sino-Russian Relations at the Turn of the Century signed on November 23, 1998; The joint Press Communique on Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty (ABM) signed on April 14, 1999; and the conclusion and the comments on ABM made in the Sino-Russian Joint Statement on December 10, 1999, during the Sino-Russian summit.

It says that the 1972 ABM Treaty remains the cornerstone of global strategic stability and international security.

The Treaty "forms the basis of key international agreements on reduction and limitation of offensive strategic weaponry and prevention of proliferation of massive destructive weaponry," it says, adding that it is "of vital importance to maintain and strictly observe ABM."

The statement says that the establishment of the National Missile Defense system (NMD) as planned by the United States makes people "deeply worried."

China and Russia believe that the nature of NMD "is to seek unilateral military and security advantages," which will "pose the most grave adverse consequences not only to the national security of Russia, China and other countries, but also to the security and international strategic stability of the Unites States itself."

China and Russia are "firmly opposed to such a system," the statement states.

The damage wrought by ABM will trigger a new arms race and lead to an about-face in the positive trend that appeared in world politics after the end of the Cold War, the statement points out.

This is clearly not in the fundamental interests of any nation in the world, it says, and the country that proposed an amendment to ABM, a basic document in the area of disarmament, must "take all responsibility" for undermining international stability and security.

Analysis of the international situation shows that the demand of a certain nation to amend ABM on the pretext of missile threat is totally unjustified. The proposal to revise ABM is actually a ruse to cover its attempt to violate ABM, it says.

The alteration of the content of ABM will harm the treaty and lead to a chain of negative consequences, it says, noting that it is of great immediate significance in the present strategic situation to maintain the completeness and effectiveness of the ABM treaty.

The statement says that the correct way to adapt oneself to the new challenges in international security, safeguard world peace and protect the legitimate security interests of different countries is not to undermine ABM, but to push forward the establishment of a just and rational international new political order, abandon power politics and the random use of force in international affairs, and strengthen regional and global security.

Meanwhile, it is also important that while Russia and the US continue to reduce offensive strategic weaponry on the basis of ABM, other countries with nuclear capabilities should be included in the process at the appropriate time.

The statement says that political, legal and diplomatic means must be used to strengthen international efforts in the matter, prevent proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their carriers, explore possibilities for the setup of a global monitoring system for preventing proliferation of missiles and related technologies, and for carrying out extensive and non- discriminative dialogue and cooperation.

A non-strategic missile defense program and international cooperation in such areas, which is not prohibited by ABM, should not undermine security interests of other countries, not lead to the establishment of any closed military or political bloc, or threaten global and regional stability and security, it says. China and Russia are deeply concerned that a certain country in the Asia-Pacific region might deploy any such non-strategic missile defense system, and steadfastly oppose this, it says.

"The incorporation of Taiwan into any foreign missile defense system is unacceptable and will seriously undermine regional stability," it stresses.

The statement says that the resolution to maintain and observe ABM adopted by the 54th United Nations General Assembly is one of grave importance. China and Russia call on the international community to heed continuously the activities of a certain country to develop a missile defense system, which is detrimental to global strategic balance and stability, and to do what's necessary to prevent such a dangerous situation from continuing, the statement says.

China and Russia in the statement also express satisfaction with each other for their cooperation in maintaining global strategic balance and stability.

Based on the strategic partnership featured by equality and trust, China and Russia will continue their close cooperation on these issues. They also vow to strengthen ties in related areas by ensuring their own national security as well as that of the region and the world, in line with the international obligations undertaken by the two countries.





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