Chinese President Jiang Zemin and Russian President Vladimir Putin singed a joint statement between the People's Republic of China and the Russian Federation Monday.

Major points of the joint statement are as follows:

The heads of state of China and Russia have an in-depth discussion over the current situation and the prospects of China-Russia relations.

They state that the deepening of the strategic partnership of cooperation between China and Russia is in the long-term interest of the two countries and the two peoples, is the only correct historic choice, and meets the requirements for coping with challenges brought about by the development of the world situation and international relations.

During the past ten years, China-Russia relations have witnessed positive historic changes. Entering the 21st century, the political, economic and social foundation of the relations has become more solid, the mutual trust has been deepened politically, the traditional friendship between the two peoples has been strengthened, and the mutually beneficial cooperation has yielded substantial results.

The close contacts between leaders of the two countries play a pivotal role in the development of the bilateral relations.

The two heads of state agree that there remain broad prospects and huge potential for China and Russia to develop good-neighborly, friendly and cooperative relations and to deepen strategic cooperation.

The two sides are determined to continue making unremitting efforts to push forward the bilateral friendly and mutually beneficial cooperation to a new phase.

The two heads of state reiterate that the two sides will keep strengthening the exchange of high-level visits and the regular meeting mechanism, uplift the mutual trust in political and military fields, frequently exchange views on key bilateral and international issues, enhance and consolidate coordination and cooperation between departments of foreign affairs, defense, law enforcement, economy, and science and technology, and further the friendly exchanges and pragmatic cooperation at the regional levels between the two countries.

The two heads of state signed the China-Russia good-neighborly treaty of friendship and cooperation on July 16, 2001. The practice in the past year has fully proved that the treaty is of great realistic and historic significance and has laid a solid foundation for the healthy and steady development of the good-neighborly relations of friendship between the two countries.

The treaty is the guiding document that ensures the continuous development of the bilateral ties and thus enjoys great vitality. It has opened up a new prospect for the two countries to deepen their comprehensive strategic cooperation.

The two heads of state reiterate that no matter what changes take place in the international situation and in China and Russia, it is the determination of the two sides to adhere to the guideline and principles set forth in the treaty, continue to promote, expand and deepen the strategic partnership of cooperation with new contents, coordinate and support each other on issues of common concern, fully demonstrate the strategic idea that the two countries will "forever be good neighbors, friends and partners and never be enemies," and meet the challenges in the new era with all peace-loving countries and people all over the world.

The two sides stress that the friendly relations between the two countries represent a new type of state-to-state relations that feature non-alignment and non-confrontation and are not targeted at any third country.

The two presidents are convinced that the solid foundation laid by the treaty will definitely uplift the Sino-Russian relations to a new and higher level in this century.

The two presidents point out that national independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity are the basic elements of the international law, the essential principles of international relations and the necessary conditions for each nation's existence.

It is the legal right of every nation to firmly condemn and strike against any attempt or activity that sabotages the above-mentioned principles.

China and Russia firmly support each other's policy and actions on maintaining national unification and territorial integrity.

The Russian side reiterates that the government of the People's Republic of China is the only legitimate government representing the whole China, and Taiwan is an integral part of the Chinese territory. Russia will not form any official relations or have official exchanges with Taiwan. Russia always recognizes that Tibet is an integral part of China. China supports Russia's efforts in striking against Chechnya terrorists and separatist.

China and Russia will not allow the establishment of any organization or group in their own territories that will sabotage each other's sovereignty, security and territorial integrity. They will prohibit such activities.

The two heads of state hold that strengthening and pushing forward the all-round bilateral economic and trade cooperation are of great importance to the long-term stable development of China-Russia relations.

The two heads of state hold that the regular meeting mechanism between premiers of two countries is of great significance, speaking highly of the contributions made by the mechanism for the long-term economic and trade cooperation between China and Russia.

The two sides point out that active measures need to be taken to develop economic and trade relations in stable and predictable environment.

Such measures include expanding trade scale; increasing proportion of high-technology, machinery and electronic products and other high added value products in the bilateral trade; creating favorable conditions for mutual market accession of two countries' products, service and investment; promoting economic, technological and trade cooperation through establishing joint ventures, manufacture cooperation and technology transfer; improving trade service systems through strengthening cooperation in banking settlement, credit and insurance; strengthening legal, administrative and managerial work to make trade systems accord with international standards, as well as promoting linkages between medium and small-sized enterprises in the two countries.

China and Russia will work hard to make breakthroughs in promoting the all-round bilateral economic and trade relations as well as improving the quality.

Considering the great importance of bilateral energy cooperation, the two heads of state guarantee that the China-Russia crude oil and natural gas pipeline cooperation projects, on which agreements have been reached, be implemented according to schedule. They also agree to coordinate the implementation of energy projects with promising prospect, which are vital to safeguarding long-term and stable supply of the oil and gas.

The two sides agree that Russia's accession to the World Trade Organization will be of special significance to Russia's participation in the world economic system as an equal member of world economic and trade community.

The two sides agree to hold constructive bilateral negotiations concerning Russia's entry into the WTO and reach relevant agreements under the condition that interests of both sides are considered, regarding this conducive to the bilateral economic and trade relations.

The Chinese side expresses its support for Russia's accession to the WTO, holding that the accession will make the WTO an international organization with greater broadness.

The two presidents believe that expanding friendly exchanges and cooperation in fields of education, culture, health, sports and media is conducive to consolidating the social foundation of the good-neighborly friendship and mutual trust between China and Russia.

They recognize the great significance of the work of China-Russia committee of friendship, peace and development, and agree on attaching great importance to further improving the form and the method of the committee's work.

In order to promote mutual understanding and cooperation between the two peoples, the two presidents agree to further take effective measures to boost exchanges between Chinese and Russian citizens and to regulate and improve relevant laws and regulations.

The two also emphasize the significance of the cooperation in the field of law enforcement. The two sides will carry out cooperation in fighting against illegal immigration.

The two point out that further efforts should be made to strengthen cooperation in ecological and environmental protection, especially in protecting the environment in the border areas, and to improve laws and regulations in this regard.

The crimes of international terrorism committed in New York, Moscow, Bali Island and other regions of the world show that terrorism, splittism and extremism have become serious threats to the safety of sovereign states, as well as to the world peace and stability. Factors causing uncertainty in global security have increased. The two presidents maintain that double standards should not be adopted in addressing these problems, and the anti-terrorism campaign must depend on joint efforts of all countries in the world. Therefore, China and Russia have determined to take necessary and concrete measures, on both bilateral and multilateral basis, to sternly crack down upon terrorism of various forms.

The two sides reiterate that both Chechnya and East Turkistan terrorists are parts of international terrorism, which should be jointly condemned and cracked down upon by all countries of the international community. To effectively secure safety and stability in China and Russia and promote regional and world peace and prosperity, the two sides will strengthen mutual support in combating terrorism and enhance coordination and cooperation on international issues.

Last June, the six member countries of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) signed an agreement in St. Petersburg on setting up a permanent regional anti-terrorism agency. The two heads of state speak highly of the potential of the SCO in conducting anti-terrorism cooperation, and hold that this regional agency should start substantial operation as soon as possible.

The two sides also praise the work of the China-Russia anti-terrorism joint working group and stress that the constructive relationship of trustworthy dialogue established by the working group completely matches the level of the China-Russia strategic partnership of cooperation.

Since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the international situation has undergone deep and complex changes. Non-traditional challenges like international terrorism have posed severe threat to the world peace and security. Local clashes keep cropping up. The origin of tension and instability still exists. The gap between the South and the North continues to widen. The peace and development of mankind are facing challenges that could not be neglected.

The two presidents believe the harmonious co-existence and diversity of different countries and the democratization of international relations will help strengthen global stability and security.

The two sides believe that peace and development remain as the theme of the times. As multi-polarization of the world and economic globalization keep gaining momentum, peoples of all nations wish to establish a new, just and rational international political and economic order, which will ensure the sustained development, equality and security of all nations.

China and Russia hold that the United Nations is the main mechanism to safeguard international security and cooperation in a multi-polarized world, and its core role should be strengthened. The two sides agree to further enhancing the efficiency of the UN, its Security Council in particular.

The two sides believe that at a time of globalization and sci-tech advancement, countries are becoming increasingly more inter-dependent. It is necessary to formulate an overall strategy for sustainable development of the mankind. The military, political, economic, ecological and human contents related to international security are inter-linked and such a concept should form the basis of the overall strategy mentioned above.

The two presidents believe the two sides' coordination on strategic stability issues is of great significance to fortifying international security and local and global stability.

The two sides will cooperate within the framework of bilateral relations and related international forums, promote the formulation and adoption of effective measures in arms control, disarmament, and non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their carriers.

The two sides will make further efforts to advance their joint proposal on the conclusion of an international agreement on weaponry-free outer space.

The two sides will continue their close coordination in resolving the issue of missile proliferation. They hold that it is necessary to further explore and advance the proposal for multilateral talks so as to formulate a legally binding agreement on global missile non-proliferation mechanism.

Multilateral organizations such as the United Nations should play a major role in this area. China and Russia are ready to continue bilateral dialogue on export control related to non-proliferation.

The two sides attach great importance to international cooperation on protection and promotion of human rights. They believe that no "double standards" should be adopted in this area, and stand against the use of human rights problems for imposing pressures in international relations.

The two sides stress it should become a norm of international relations to resolve regional conflicts by political and diplomatic means and through dialogues and negotiations.

The two sides maintain that the Iraq issue should be thoroughly resolved through political and diplomatic means on the basis of strictly observing resolutions of the UN Security Council. They are willing to further cooperate within the UN framework on this issue.

The two sides have a discussion on the Middle East situation and express grave concern over the prolonged Palestine-Israel confrontation. They believe that the use of force can never resolve their differences and a political solution conforms to the long-term interests of all nations. The goal of the political solution is the peaceful co-existence of Israel and Palestine as two countries within their safe and recognized boundaries.

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) has become an important factor in maintaining regional peace, safety and stability, as well as a pillar in the future structure of a multipolar world. In the current complicated international situation, it is in the common interests of SCO member countries to inject new vigor into the organization so that it can take a more active part in regional and international affairs for the promotion of peace and prosperity in Asia and the creation of cooperative atmosphere for dialogues on an equal footing.

The two presidents, therefore, maintain that it is of primary importance to strengthen cooperation within the framework of the SCO.

China and Russia are willing to work with the other member countries of the SCO to speed up the improvement of the SCO mechanism, set up the SCO secretariat and regional anti-terrorism institution at an early date, intensify the fight against terrorism, separatism and extremism and take measures to curb drug trafficking and other forms of cross-border crime, deepen the extensive cooperation in economic and cultural fields, and actively carry out exchanges and cooperation between the SCO and other international organizations and countries to safeguard peace and development of the region and the world as a whole.

The two presidents hold that to strengthen multilateral cooperation in the field of security in the Asian-Pacific region is one of the key factors in consolidating global strategic stability. The two countries will strive to establish an effective regional multilateral cooperation system to ensure stability and security in the Asian-Pacific region.

They express worries about the prospect and possible results of relevant countries jointly establishing a theater missile defense system in east Asia on a bloc basis, and reiterate such cooperation should not break regional and global security and stability. Both sides appeal to all countries concerned for strengthening dialogues on the issue. China and Russia will continue consultations on the issue within the bilateral framework.

The two sides have discussed Central Asian situations. They point out that it is crucial to maintain stability and security in the region.

Both sides point out that the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) plays a constructive role in establishing a new type of state-to-state relations in the Asia-Pacific, and hold that the ASEAN Regional Forum is an effective mechanism for conducting political dialogues on regional security issues. Both sides reiterate that they will carry out close cooperation within the framework of the ASEAN Regional Forum.

Russia reiterates its positive attitude toward the further development of "ASEAN plus three" dialogue and cooperation mechanism. China will provide necessary assistance to Russia for the establishment of contacts between Russia and the mechanism in the fields of common concern.

Both sides hold that comprehensively advancing economic, trade, investment and technological cooperation within the framework of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) is a major contribution to the stability and development in the Asia-Pacific region. Both sides are willing to conduct regular consultations on APEC affairs to exchange views and coordinate their positions.

Both sides speak highly of the Asia-Europe Meeting's contributions to pushing forward the further development of a new equal partnership between Asia and Europe. The Chinese side supports Russia's entry into the Meeting.

The two heads of state welcome the establishment of a nuclear-free area in related regions in Asia, and hold that such a nuclear-free area should fully take into consideration the interests and concerns of all countries.

The two heads of state support the continuation and advancement of the relaxation process in recent years on the Korean Peninsula, especially the dialogs and cooperation between the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and the Republic of Korea (ROK), and are for the normalization of relations between the DPRK and Japan and the implementation of the results achieved at the Pyongyang summit.

Both sides hold that it is crucial to peace and security in northeast Asia to maintain a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula and the system for non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. Both sides emphasize that the United States and the DPRK should, as always, abide by all agreements reached before including the 1994 framework agreement, and realize, on this basis, the normalization of their relations in the principle of conducting constructive and equal dialogs for catering to mutual concerns. Both sides will continue to develop good-neighborly friendship and cooperation with the DPRK and the ROK so as to facilitate peace and prosperity in the region.

Both sides completely support the work done by the Afghan transitional government to bring the country's situation back to normal in line with the Bonn agreement, the Loya Jirgah's (Grand Assembly) decisions and resolutions adopted by the United Nations Security Council. Both sides express their worries about the instability of the Afghan situation, the rampant activities of the residual Taliban forces, the intensifying contradictions among different ethnic groups and the increasing output of drugs. Both sides stress that the UN's leading role in solving Afghan issues must be upheld.

The two heads of state declare that they are willing to continue to conduct close and mutually-trusted political dialogs, expand and deepen economic cooperation of mutual benefit, boost cooperation in international affairs, and consolidate the friendship between the two peoples.

(Xinhua News Agency December 3, 2002)