SHANGHAI, May 20 -- China and Russia on Tuesday voiced shared concern over the use of information technology that is detrimental to sovereignty and privacy, according to joint statement signed here on Tuesday.

Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin signed the statement in Shanghai after they held talks on the sidelines of a regional security summit.

"We express grave concern over the current use of information and communication technology for the purposes that run counter to the maintenance of international stability and security, and the use that harms the country's sovereignty and personal privacy," said the statement.

The two countries believe that the international community should cooperate on the basis of mutual respect, equality and mutual benefit in an effort to address the threat of information security, according to the statement.

"We call on the international community to formulate the commonly accepted code of conduct in adherence to the principles of multilateralism, democracy and transparency, to make the system of Internet governance more international, and to build a peaceful, secure, open and cooperative information environment," it said.

Putin, who is in China for a state visit, is attending the fourth Summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia, which is scheduled to be held in Shanghai on Tuesday and Wednesday.