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'Be Friends for Generations, Never Become Enemies', Says Assistant Foreign Minister
President Jiang Zemin's four-day State visit to Russia (beginning from July 15) has opened a new chapter for the development of China-Russia relationship in the new century. At a time when President Jiang's Russia visit is drawing to an end, Assistant Foreign Minister Liu Guchang, who is accompanying President Jiang in the visit, accepted our reporters' telephone exclusive interview, discussing matters, among other things, concerning the important significance of the signing of the China-Russia Good-Neighborly Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation.
Liu said the traditional friendship between the Chinese and Russian peoples dates back to ancient times. Since China and Russia established diplomatic relations in 1991, President Jiang Zemin and Russia's first President Boris Yeltsin made a profound summary of historical experiences and lessons and, proceeding from the strategic needs of their respective national construction and development and in light of the new characteristics and trends of change in the international situation, decided to establish a new type of State relationship completely different from that in the Cold-War age. The basic characteristics of this relationship are non-alignment, non-confrontation and not directed at a third country, on the basis of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, the two countries maintain long-term good neighborly relationship of friendship, equality, trust, mutual benefit, cooperation and common development. Under the guidance of the above-mentioned principles and guidelines, the Chinese-Russian relationship has been successively raised to three new stages. It had risen from "regarding each other as friendly countries" in 1992 to "constructive partnership" in 1994 and then to "strategic cooperation partnership featuring equality, trust and being oriented toward the 21st century" in 1996. In recent years, the Chinese-Russian strategic cooperation partnership has experienced rapid development and kept on scoring abundant achievements.
One of the most important achievements gained in President Jiang's ongoing Russia visit is the China-Russia Good-Neighborly Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation he signed jointly with President Vladimir Putin, the important significance and influence of the treaty are many-sided.
First, the guiding spirit of the treaty is that the two countries and two peoples will be "friends through all generations, and never become enemies", thus setting down in legal forms the firm will of China and Russia always to be good neighbors, good partners and good friends, at the same time, it lays down stipulations on cooperation between the two countries in various fields. It can be said that this treaty has laid a solid legal foundation for long-term good neighbors, friendship, mutual benefit and cooperation between the two countries, it is a programmatic document of epoch-making significance in the development of China-Russia relationship in the new century.
Second, this treaty discards the old thinking and old mode of State relationship in the Cold War times that feature either non-alignment or confrontation, defining the nature of the Chinese-Russian relationship of non-alignment, non-confrontation and not directed at a third country and setting a good example for the international community to seek security through mutual trust and seek cooperation through mutual benefit. At the same time, the whole treaty implements the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations and other norms of the publicly acknowledged international law, it has made contributions to defending the principles of the traditional international law, such as State sovereignty, national equality, non-interference in others' internal affairs, that have been proved to be effective by history.
Third, today's international situation is complicated and changeable, peace and development are faced with many challenges. The development trends of big-power relations exert important influence on the international situation. Both China and Russia are big countries seeking peace and development. On the one hand, the treaty uses the legal form to reinforce the China-Russian relations, on the other hand, it clearly defines the nature of Chinese-Russian relationship of non-alignment, non-confrontation and not directed against a third country, these two aspects will exert profound significance and active influence on the international situation and international relations.
President Jiang's present Russia visit, rich in content, is crowned with notable achievements. Apart from signing the China-Russia Good-Neighborly Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation, President Jiang and the Russian President Putin had a profound exchange of opinions on bilateral ties and major regional and international issues and the heads of State of China and Russia jointly signed the Moscow Joint Statement. In Moscow University, President Jiang also delivered an important speech entitled "Jointly Creating a Better Future for Chinese-Russian Relationship" to celebrities in various Russian social circles. President Jiang's present visit has deepened traditional friendship and enhanced political mutual trust, boosted mutual benefit and cooperation and strengthened strategic cooperation.
China and Russia, as the largest neighbors, have common concerns and common interests on many major issues. Further strengthening neighborly mutual trust, mutual benefit, cooperation and strategic cooperation is where the fundamental interests of the two countries lie. The two sides have unanimously decided that while continuing to strengthen political relations, the two sides will further expand pragmatic cooperation in economy, trade, science and technology as well as other fields, constantly strengthen the material foundation for the development of relations between the two countries. The two countries will strengthen cooperation in the humanist field, enhance the feelings between the two peoples and reinforce bonds of good neighbors and friendship between the two countries.
Further strengthening strategic cooperation between China and Russia, jointly expediting the world multi-polarization process and establishing a democratic, just and reasonable international new order, devoting joint efforts to the defense of world peace, and promoting common development-this is the objective need for the development of the present international situation, as well as the major, inescapable responsibility of the two countries. Heads of States of the two countries pointed out emphatically that maintaining global strategic stability concerns the major security benefits of various countries. The ABM Treaty is the cornerstone for global strategic stability, on the anti-ballistic missile issue, China and Russia have all along been engaged in fruitful cooperation and in the future they will continue to strengthen cooperation in this field.
President Jiang's speech has evoked strong repercussions among various Russian social circles and in the international community. In his speech, President Jiang put forward his principled propositions on developing Chinese-Russian relations in the new century, that is the cornerstone for enhancing political mutual trust, consolidating good-neighborly relations of friendship; is the driving force for expanding mutual benefit and cooperation and enhancing common development; strengthening cultural exchange, enhancing friendship between the Chinese and Russian peoples; deepening strategic cooperation, and devoting joint efforts to world peace and development. This is of important guiding significance in the future development of Chinese-Russian relationship.
Through President Jiang's present visit, the Chinese-Russian relations will become ever better and will witness an ever-higher level. This judgment is made mainly on the basis of the following factors: China and Russia are two biggest neighbors, good-neighborly friendship and mutual benefit and cooperation are the common strong wishes of the two peoples, as well as the firm will of the leaders of the two countries; Relations between the two countries have thus far had a very good foundation, President Jiang's present visit has greatly substantiated and consolidated this foundation from various aspects; In various fields, particularly in economic and trade fields, the two countries have very strong mutual complementation, the prospects for cooperation are very broad. In their cooperation the actual interests of the two countries have been combined ever closer; the two countries have many common strategic interests and they are shouldering common, major responsibility for world peace, security, stability and development. We are convinced that in the 21st century, Chinese-Russian relations will definitely have a brighter and better future.
This commentary was written by our reporters Li Wenyun, Yu Hongjian and Yin Shuguang on their telephone interview with Assistant Foreign Minister Liu Guchang discussing China-Russia Good-Neighborly Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation.
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