Joint Declaration by the People’s Republic of China and the Russian Federation, adopted at Beijing on 25 April 1996

• Country/entity

  China
  Russia
  
• Region

  Asia and Pacific
  Europe and Eurasia
  
• Agreement name

  Joint Declaration by the People’s Republic of China and the Russian Federation, adopted at Beijing on 25 April 1996
• Date

  25 Apr 1996
• Agreement status

  Multiparty signed/agreed
• Interim arrangement

  Yes
• Agreement/conflict level

  Interstate/interstate conflict ( Sino-Soviet Border Conflict (1969 - 1991) )
• Stage

  Implementation/renegotiation
• Conflict nature

  Territory
• Peace process

  China-Russia border dispute peace process
• Parties

  (Signed) JIANG Zemin, President,People’s Republic of China
  (Signed) Boris YELTSIN, President, Russian Federation
• Third parties

  -
• Description

  -

• Agreement document

  CN_RU_960425_Joint Declaration by the People’s Republic of China and the Russian Federation.pdf | Download PDF

Groups

Gender

State definition

Governance

Power sharing

Human rights and equality

Rights related issues

Rights institutions

Justice sector reform

Socio-economic reconstruction

Land, property and environment

Security sector

Transitional justice

Implementation

Joint Declaration by the People’s Republic of China and the Russian Federation, adopted at Beijing on 25 April 1996

I. BILATERAL RELATIONS

The People’s Republic of China and the Russian Federation (hereinafter called "the two sides") hereby announce their resolve to develop a strategic partnership of equality, mutual confidence and mutual coordination for the twenty-first century.

The two sides reiterate their strict observance of the various principles set forth in the Joint Statement on the basis of relations between the People’s Republic of China and the Russian Federation signed on 18 December 1992 and the Joint Statement by the People’s Republic of China and the Russian Federation signed on 3 September 1994.

The two sides agree to maintain regular dialogue at various levels and through various channels, believing that high- and top-level contacts and consultations between the leaders of the two countries are of particular importance.

It has been decided that a telephone hot-line between the Chinese Government in Beijing and the Russian Government in Moscow shall be set up for this purpose.

The two sides have expressed their strict observance of the Agreement on the Eastern Section of the Boundary between the People’s Republic of China and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics signed on 16 May 1991 and the Agreement on the Western Section of the Boundary between the People’s Republic of China and the Russian Federation signed on 3 September 1994.

The two sides agree to continue their negotiations to resolve in a fair and equitable manner the remaining boundary issues on which the two sides are yet to reach agreement.

The two sides are determined to complete, as soon as possible, the boundary survey and the erection of markers as stipulated in the two above-mentioned agreements and to hold parallel negotiations on the joint economic exploitation of the individual border areas incorporated into the other side after the boundary survey.

The two sides believe the exchanges and cooperation between the border areas and regions of the two countries constitute an important part of the relations of good-neighbourliness, friendship and mutually beneficial cooperation between China and the Russian Federation.

The two sides stand ready to make continued joint efforts to provide national support to and facilitate a healthy and orderly development of these exchanges and cooperation.

The two sides are ready to exchange experience and information regularly on the social and economic development of their respective countries.

The People’s Republic of China supports the measures and actions adopted by the Russian Federation in safeguarding its national unity and considers that the question of Chechnya is a domestic affair of the Russian Federation.

The Russian Federation reiterates that the Government of the People’s Republic of China is the sole legal Government representing the whole of China and that Taiwan is an inalienable part of the Chinese territory.

The Russian Federation will not establish official relations nor enter into official contacts with Taiwan.

The Russian Federation always recognizes Tibet as an inseparable part of China.

The two sides are satisfied with the gradual increase of bilateral trade after overcoming a drop in the volume of the two-way trade in 1994, and will take strong measures to further expand and develop their economic cooperation and trade by taking advantage of their unique geographical proximity and economic complementarity.

With the deepening of reforms in the two countries’ economic structures and foreign trade systems, both sides will continue to develop, on the basis of equality, mutual benefit and conformity with international trade practices, their multiform trade, economic and technological cooperation with cash transactions as the mainstay.

The two Governments will provide favourable conditions and necessary support for the cooperation between the main bodies of the bilateral economic cooperation and trade, primarily their large and medium-sized enterprises and corporations which possess a good business reputation and strong economic capacity.

The two sides will pay greater attention to their cooperation on the major projects in manufacturing and scientific and technological development, regarding them as important vehicles for upgrading their bilateral cooperation.

They hold that such fields as energy, machine building, aviation, space, agriculture, communications and high technology should be made priorities in bilateral cooperation on major projects.

The two sides will engage in further cooperation with each other in developing new techniques which will ensure breakthroughs in scientific and technological progress in various fields in line with their respective potentials for the benefit of the peoples of the two countries and the international community at large.

The two sides reiterate their observance of the Joint Statement signed by the Presidents of the People’s Republic of China and the Russian Federation on 3 September 1994 pertaining to the non-targeting of their strategic nuclear weapons at and non-first-use of nuclear weapons against each other.

The two sides consider that the signing of the Agreement on Confidence Building in the Military Field along Border Areas is of great significance and are resolved to take concrete and effective measures for its implementation so as to turn their common border into one of peace, tranquillity, friendship and good-neighbourliness.

They agree to continue efforts for the speedy conclusion of an agreement on the mutual reduction of military forces in the border areas.

The troops remaining after the reduction will only be of a defensive nature.

The two sides express their readiness to further develop friendly exchanges between their military forces at various levels and further strengthen their cooperation on military technology on the basis of equality and mutual benefit, bearing in mind their respective international obligations.

They declare that the development of military relations between China and the Russian Federation and their cooperation in the field of military technology are not directed against any third country or country bloc.

They reiterate their willingness to maintain proper transparency of their cooperation in military technology and to provide relevant information to the United Nations Register of Conventional Arms.

To buttress the foundation of their good-neighbourly and friendly relations for the twenty-first century, the two countries agree to establish a Sino-Russian Friendship Committee for Peace and Development which is to be composed of representatives from all walks of life in the two countries.

II. INTERNATIONAL PEACE AND DEVELOPMENT

The two sides are of the view that today’s world is in the process of undergoing profound and complicated changes.

The trend towards a multipolar world is developing, and the desire for peace, stability, cooperation and development has constituted the mainstream of present international life.

However, the world is far from being tranquil.

Hegemonism, power politics and the repeated imposition of pressure on other countries have continued to occur.

Bloc politics has assumed new guises.

World peace and development still face serious challenges.

China and the Russian Federation, which made enormous contributions to and sustained major national sacrifices in the final victory over the dark forces of fascism, call upon the countries in the world to draw lessons from history, always bearing in mind the scourges of war and cherishing the hard-won peace.

The two countries wish to join the rest of the world in a concerted effort to win lasting and stable peace for both the current generation and posterity.

The two sides call upon all peace-loving countries and peoples throughout the world to cooperate closely and work together to establish a just and equitable international political and economic order and promote regional and global peace, stability, development and prosperity on the basis of the principles of mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, mutual non-aggression, non-interference in each other’s internal affairs, equality and mutual benefit and peaceful coexistence, as well as of the accepted norms governing international relations.

The two sides agree to strengthen their cooperation in areas where they share common or similar positions, and to find ways for mutual understanding in areas where they hold different positions.

The two sides reiterate that mutual respect and equality are important principles for maintaining and developing normal and healthy relations between States.

All countries, big or small, whether they are developed, developing or with an economy in transition, are equal members of the international community.

People of every country have the right to choose independently, in the light of their respective national conditions and free from outside interference, their social system and course and mode of development.

The two sides express their readiness to conduct an active dialogue on questions pertaining to strategic stability and to promote and expedite, through their concrete actions, the processes of arms reduction and disarmament - nuclear disarmament first and foremost.

The two sides welcome the indefinite extension of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, commit themselves to active cooperation for strengthening the non-proliferation regime and appeal to non-signatories to the Treaty to accede to it.

Both sides will make efforts and cooperate with other countries for an early conclusion of a comprehensive test-ban treaty, value the speedy coming into effect of the Chemical Weapons Convention and call for accelerated progress in further improving the effectiveness of the Biological Weapons Convention.

The two sides are ready to step up bilateral and multilateral cooperation on effective and responsible oversight of transfers of conventional weapons, particularly to regions of conflict.

The two sides agree to strengthen cooperation in enhancing the efficiency and ability for action of the United Nations.

They point out that the United Nations has contributed to maintaining international peace and security.

They believe that the United Nations constitutes a unique mechanism for cooperation for peace, development and security and, therefore, bears on its shoulders the mission of facing up to the global challenges of the twenty-first century.

In order to adapt itself to the changed international situation and to increase efficiency, the United Nations and its agencies should carry out appropriate reforms so as to better perform the duties entrusted to them by the Charter of the United Nations.

The work and the decision-making process of the Organization should give better expression to the common desire and collective will of all the Members of the United Nations.

The two sides believe it necessary to further enhance the efficiency of United Nations peace-keeping operations and are ready to cooperate towards this end.

The two sides are of the view that the peace-keeping operations should, based on the Charter of the United Nations, strictly abide by the important principles of:

agreement among all parties concerned, impartiality, neutrality, non-interference in each other’s internal affairs and non-use of force except self-defence.

In carrying out peace-keeping operations, there should be no "double standards" and these operations should under no circumstances lead to expansion or escalation of conflicts.

The imposition of sanctions must be handled with prudence and the negative consequences arising from sanctions in international practice must be given due attention.

The two sides consider that in preserving the main responsibility of the Security Council of safeguarding world peace and security, and in accordance with Chapter VIII of the Charter, efforts should be made to promote cooperation between the United Nations and regional organizations in preventing and mediating peacefully disputes and conflicts, and to promote more constructive and healthy coordination between the non-governmental organizations engaged in economic and social development, humanitarian assistance and other areas, and the United Nations and its specialized agencies in the above areas.

The two sides are in favour of the establishment of a new international economic order on the basis of fair and mutually beneficial cooperation on an equal footing and non-discrimination in international trade.

The reform of the economic and social development agencies of the United Nations should contribute to strengthening the role of the Organization in the area of development and better represent the needs of the international community, the large number of developing nations in particular, under the new circumstances.

Both sides believe that it is necessary for the United Nations to formulate an Agenda for Development based on General Assembly resolutions and hope that the conclusion and adoption of the Agenda for Development will help the international community achieve the objective of sustainable development, contribute to the economic growth and social development of the developing countries and promote international cooperation and global development.

The two sides declare that they will strike resolutely against acts of terror or organized transnational crimes of any sort and shall exchange experience and strengthen cooperation regularly on a bilateral and a multilateral basis.

The two sides agree to enhance coordination and cooperation in ensuring safe navigation passage and fighting piracy, smuggling and illegal drug trafficking and to collaborate with each other in the fields of oceanography, meteorology, seismology, disaster reduction and marine rescue operations.

The two sides resolve to enhance bilateral and multilateral cooperation in environmental protection, which, they believe, has become a matter of global significance.

III. SECURITY AND COOPERATION IN THE REGION OF ASIA AND THE PACIFIC

The two sides agree that the Asia-Pacific region, which has enjoyed relative political stability and rapid economic growth since the end of the cold war, will play a significant role in the coming century.

China and the Russian Federation are both ready to continue their efforts for peace, stability and the development of the Asia-Pacific region.

The two sides are in favour of the nations of Asia and the Pacific conducting bilateral and regional dialogues on security matters in various forms, at various levels and through various channels to strengthen security and cooperation in the region in the light of the diversity of the region and pursuant to the principles of reaching consensus through consultations and gradualism.

China and the Russian Federation are committed to developing dialogue and cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region on a bilateral and a multilateral basis.

The two sides agree that the Agreement on Confidence Building in the Military Field in the Border Areas between China and the Russian Federation, Kazakstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, the Agreement between the Chinese and the Russian Governments on the Prevention of Dangerous Military Activities as well as the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) regional forum are all of great significance.

The two sides believe that stability in social and economic development is an important factor ensuring regional security and stability.

The two sides are in favour of the continued promotion of friendly exchanges among the people of various countries so as to enhance mutual understanding and confidence, and are against stirring up national, ethnic and religious conflicts.

The two sides will promote each other’s participation in multilateral economic cooperation in Asia and the Pacific.

The Chinese side reaffirms its support to the application of the Russian Federation for admission to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Council (APEC).

The two sides stand ready to renew their commitment to strengthening security, stability and economic cooperation in north-eastern Asia and to coordinate and consult with each other and with all other concerned nations for this purpose.

(Signed) JIANG Zemin

President

People’s Republic of China

(Signed) Boris YELTSIN

President

Russian Federation