China, Russia Sign Good-Neighborly Friendship, Cooperation Treaty

China, Russia Sign Good-Neighborly Friendship, Cooperation Treaty

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Chinese President Jiang Zemin and Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday signed a good- neighborly treaty of friendship and cooperation.

The treaty will function as a legal document guiding the steady development of Sino-Russian relations in the new century and will have a deep and far-reaching impact on the long-term steady development of the bilateral ties.

The following are details of the treaty:

China and Russia will develop the strategic cooperative partnership based on good-neighborliness, friendship, cooperation and peace, in accordance with the principles of mutual respect of each other's territorial integrity, non-aggression, non- interference in each other's internal affairs, mutual benefit and peaceful co-existence.

Disputes between the two countries will be settled in line with stipulations in the U.N. Charter and other international principles by peaceful means. The two parties reaffirm that neither side will be the first to use nuclear weapons against the other and nor will it aim its strategic nuclear weapons at the other.

The two parties respect the path of political, economic, social and cultural development of the other, to ensure the long-term steady development of bilateral relations. The two sides support each other's policy to maintain national unity and territorial integrity.

Russia declares that there is only one China in the world, that the government of the People's Republic of China is the sole legal government to represent the whole China and that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China. Russia is opposed to any form of independence of Taiwan.

The two sides are determined to build the boundary between the two countries into one of permanent peace and lasting friendship. The two parties will adhere to international principles concerned and strictly observe the boundary between the two countries.

In accordance with existing agreements, the two countries will build up confidence in the military field and mutually reduce troops in the border areas. They will take more confidence- building measures in the military area to enhance their respective security and consolidate regional and international stability. Military cooperation between the two countries is not targeted at any third party.

Neither party will join any alliance or group that harms the other's sovereignty, security and territorial integrity. Neither of them will conclude such treaties with any third party, or allow a third country to use its territory to harm the other's sovereignty, security and territorial integrity.

The two parties will have immediate contact and consultations, should any of the two parties perceives circumstances that may threaten and undermine peace or its security interests.

The two parties to the treaty will utilize and perfect the mechanisms of regular meetings of officials at different levels, to exchange opinions and coordinate positions on bilateral issues, issues of mutual concern and on important and pressing international issues, so as to strengthen the strategic cooperative partnership based on equality and trust.

The two sides will strictly adhere to the established principles and norms of international law and will oppose the interference in the internal affairs of a sovereign country by force or under various excuses. They are willing to make great efforts to reinforce international peace, stability, development and cooperation.

The two parties are opposed to any acts that may threaten international stability, security and peace, and will coordinate and cooperate in preventing international conflicts and finding political solutions to such conflicts.

The two parties are jointly committed to maintaining global strategic balance and stability, and will endeavor to promote the adherence of fundamental agreements concerning the safeguarding and maintenance of strategic stability. The two sides will push forward the process of nuclear disarmament and the reduction of chemical weapons, and will take measures to prevent the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, means of delivery and related technologies.

The two parties will strengthen coordination in the United Nations, the U.N. Security Council and its special organizations. Both sides will strive to enhance the key role of the United Nations as the most authoritative and most universal international body of sovereign states, in handling international affairs, particularly in the fields of peace and development.

The two parties will vigorously promote and strengthen the stability in the neighboring areas of the two countries, create an atmosphere of mutual understanding, trust and cooperation, and push forward efforts that aim to set up a multilateral security and cooperation mechanism in the said areas in line with their actual situations.

The two parties will deal with their debts and rights of credit in accordance with relevant agreements and other documents signed between the governments of the two countries.

The two sides will conduct cooperation, on the basis of mutual benefit, in the fields of economy and trade, military technology, science and technology, energy, transport, nuclear energy, finance, aeronautics and space, information technology and other fields of mutual interests, and facilitate economic and trade cooperation in the border areas and between the localities of the two countries.

The two sides will greatly boost exchanges and cooperation in culture, education, health, information, tourism, sports and law, and will protect intellectual property rights, in accordance with their respective domestic laws and international treaties they have joined.

The two sides will cooperate in international financial institutions, economic organizations and forums, and in accordance with stipulations of such bodies, to facilitate the accession of one party to such bodies in which the other has already been a member.

The two parties will cooperate in promoting the realization of human rights and basic freedoms. They will take effective measures to protect the legitimate rights and interests of the legal persons and natural persons of one country in the territory of the other, in accordance with their respective international obligations and domestic laws.

The relevant departments of the two parties will investigate and settle problems and disputes arising from cooperation and business operations of legal persons and natural persons of one country in the territory of the other, in accordance with relevant laws.

The two parties will cooperate in protecting environment, preventing cross-border pollution, and in utilizing waters in the border areas and the biological resources in the northern Pacific Ocean and cross-border rivers. The two sides will make joint efforts to protect the rare species of plants and animals and the ecosystems in the border areas.

The two parties will, in accordance with their domestic laws and respective international obligations, conduct active cooperation in fighting terrorism, separatism and extremism, in combating organized crime and illegal trafficking of drugs and weapons. They will also cooperate in fighting illegal immigration.

Both parties attach importance to the exchange and cooperation between the central (federal) legislatures and the law-enforcing agencies of the two countries. They will energetically promote the exchange and cooperation between the two countries' judicial organizations.

The present treaty will not affect the rights and obligations of either party as a member of other international treaties, nor is it targeted at any third country.

The treaty needs to be ratified by parliaments of the two countries and shall come into force on the date of exchange of instruments of ratification.

The treaty has a validity period of 20 years, and will be automatically extended if neither party notifies the other its intention to terminate the treaty one year before its expiration.