Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji and Russian Prime Minister Mikhail
Kasyanov signed a joint communiqui Thursday in Shanghai after the
seventh regular meeting of the two countries' prime ministers.
According to the communiqui, the two sides had an in-depth exchange
of views and reached wide consensus on the implementation of
Sino-Russian Good-Neighborly Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation,
the expansion of cooperation in politics, economies and trade,
science and technology and people-to-people exchanges, as well as
some major international issues.
Premier Zhu and Prime Minister Kasyanov hailed the treaty signed by
Chinese President Jiang Zemin and Russian President Vladimir Putin
on July 16, 2001, describing it as a document "of strategic
importance for promoting the sustained and steady growth of
bilateral ties."
Both sides agreed to jointly implement all articles of the treaty
so as to make new progress in enhancing all-round concrete
cooperation and strategic coordination, it says.
The two sides reiterated their determination to continue supporting
each other on safeguarding state sovereignty, independence and
territorial integrity.
The Russian side reiterated support for China's principled stance
of China on Taiwan and Tibetan issues and efforts to fight East
Turkistan terrorist and separatist forces. The Chinese side
supported Russia's crackdown on Chechen terrorist and separatist
forces, the communiqui says.
The meeting proceeded in a friendly and cooperative atmosphere and
the two sides expressed satisfaction with the results, it says.
The communiqui says that the Eighth Regular Meeting of the prime
ministers will be held in Russia in 2003. The exact meeting time
will be decided through diplomatic channels.
Joint Communiqui Calls for New Concept of Security
The Sino-Russian joint communiqui calls for a new concept of
security on the basis of international law, mutual trust, equality
and cooperation.
The two sides called on all nations to avoid selfish, narrow-minded
nationalist and unilateral policies.
They pointed out that great changes have taken place in the global
security system because of rampant terrorist activities and the
international anti-terrorist struggle after the Sept. 11
Incident.
Besides the new danger and uncertainties, there are also new
prospects for building a better framework for international
relations, and advancing the economic globalization and
multi-polarization processes.
The two heads of government held that maintaining global strategic
stability, enhancing legal bases for international disarmament,
arms control and non-proliferation and improving such systems are
in the fundamental interests of all countries.
The two sides pointed out the urgency for ensuring that outer space
remains weapons-free, and call on the international community to
sign relevant legal papers through negotiation as soon as
possible.
The two prime ministers pointed out that terrorism poses a common
threat to the whole international community, stressing that
anti-terrorist strikes should be based on international law,
observe the United Nations Charter, and closer international
cooperation. No double standards should be adopted, nor should
terrorism be linked with specific ethnic groups or religions. The
United Nations and its Security Council should play a core role in
international anti-terrorist operations.
The two sides agreed to strengthen strategic coordination in the
international arena and strive for the establishment of a just and
rational international new order featuring lasting peace and common
development.
The two prime ministers held that the Shanghai Cooperation
Organization (SCO) plays an increasingly important role in
promoting good-neighborliness, mutual trust, mutual benefits and
cooperation among member states, and in safeguarding and enhancing
security and stability in the region.
The two sides urged all SCO members to implement the agreement
reached at the SCO St. Petersburg summit by promptly setting up
SCO's secretariat and regional anti-terrorist organization,
promoting regional economic cooperation and deepening cooperation
in other areas.
The two sides also exchanged views on strengthening coordination
for easing tension in trouble spots, and pledged to push the
international community to resolve disputes through dialogue and
consultation and make conflicting parties realize lasting peace on
the basis of equality and justice.
Joint Communiqui Pledges to Boost Trade Cooperation
According to the joint communiqui, the two sides vow to boost
economic and trade cooperation and address several problem
areas.
The two sides agreed that bilateral economic and trade cooperation
was increasingly diversifying, and coordination in the fields of
high-tech, energy resources, natural resource exploration, nuclear
energy, finance, transportation, aviation and aerospace, ecology,
telecommunications and information technologies was expanding, the
communiqui says.
The two prime ministers points efforts should be concentrated on
resolving the following problems in a certain period of time to
come:
--
While ensuring good conditions for the trade of traditional
commodities, work should be done to lay a foundation for long-term
stability in trade cooperation by increasing the share of
high-tech, mechanical-electric and other high value-added products
so as to improve the product mix and develop economic ties in
advanced forms. Economic, technical and investment cooperation
should be strengthened through measures including the creation of
joint ventures, joint production and technology transfers.
Trade-related service systems should be improved and legal,
administrative and managerial work enhanced to bring trade-related
systems in line with international norms.
--
In view of the huge energy potential in Russia's Siberia and Far
East regions and China's increasing demand, the two sides will
dedicate to mutually beneficial cooperation in the energy field. To
ensure the long-term and steady supply of oil and gas, the two
sides will coordinate in carrying out energy projects with good
prospects.
To
lose no time in implementing the Sino-Russian oil pipeline project,
the two sides agreed that state-level administrative departments in
charge should expedite the ratification of the project so that it
could be advanced to the initial planning phase according to the
General Feasibility Agreement. The two sides promised to create
favorable conditions for the implementation of the project.
The two sides agreed to grant their full support for companies of
the two countries to cooperate in China's west-east gas pipeline
project that is of strategic value to Sino-Russian cooperation in
the gas industry.
--
Efforts should be continued to promote coordination in the use of
nuclear energy for peaceful purposes, including cooperation with
regard to nuclear power plants and nuclear fuel cycles, and to
undertake and deepen cooperation in nuclear technology, nuclear
safety and related areas.
--
Coordination between railway, highway, aviation, water transport
and port management departments of the two countries should be
strengthened on the basis of equality and mutual benefit, and
cooperation in communications should be deepened.
--
Cooperation in the field of science and technology should be
encouraged to promote the contacts between research institutions of
the two countries and the formation of partnerships among them. The
two sides would aid the establishment and development of joint
technological innovation institutions (science parks) and continue
to improve related laws and regulations to provide legal support
for such cooperation.
--
The two sides will make concerted efforts to implement the priority
cooperative projects in the area of aerospace already agreed
between them, finalize ratification procedures for contracts as
soon as possible, conduct studies on future cooperation projects
and provide financial, technical and commercial support to
accelerate the process.
--
Business exchanges and cooperation between central banks and
commercial banks of the two countries should be expanded, in order
to provide financial services for economic cooperation.
--
In accordance with the principles of equality, mutual benefit and
equal access, efforts should be made to create favorable conditions
for information and telecom cooperation between the two countries
and provide support for Russian mobile telecom operators to enter
the Chinese telecom service market.
--
Work should start to compile cooperation guidelines for
manufacturing, producing and providing promising aviation
technologies as agreed by the China Commission of Science,
Technology and Industry for National Defense and the Russian
Aviation and Aerospace Administration.
Statistics show trade volume between China and Russia maintained
growth momentum in the past three years. Bilateral trade reached a
new high of 10.67 billion US dollars in 2001. The volume in the
first half of this year totaled 5.45 billion dollars, a
year-on-year increase of 18.7 percent.
China, Russia to Promote People-to-people Cooperation
The joint communiqui states that the two sides will increase
cooperation in the fields of culture, education, health and the
media.
The communiqui states that the Sino-Russian Good-Neighborly Treaty
of Friendship and Cooperation constitutes an important part of
bilateral ties.
The Sino-Russian Cooperation Committee for Education, Culture,
Health and Sports achieved fruitful results at its third meeting in
Moscow in July 2002. They two sides decided to add two work groups
on film and media cooperation to the committee, and upgrade the
tourism cooperation group to subcommittee along with existing
sub-committees on education, culture, health and sports.
The two sides agree in the communiqui:
--
To improve the role and efficiency of the Sino-Russian Cooperation
Committee for Education, Culture, Health and Sports, and promote
people-to-people exchanges.
--
To strengthen education cooperation, speed up the formation of
joint institutions of higher learning, and promote communication
among universities, scholars, teachers and students between the two
countries.
--
To accelerate the formulation of a governmental agreement on
establishing cultural centers in each other's countries, and hold
regular cultural festivals in each other's lands. The Chinese side
agrees to actively participate in activities celebrating the
300thanniversary of the founding of St. Petersburg.
--
To actively promote health cooperation, including inter-regional
cooperation; promote the use of medicine, including traditional
medicine, in each other's countries, and finalize work concerning
the license allowing doctors of traditional Chinese medicine to
practice in Russia; and host exhibitions on traditional Chinese
medicine in Russia and exhibitions on Russia's modern medical
equipment in China.
--
To expand sports cooperation.
--
To carry out tourism cooperation and encourage the signing and
implementation of related agreements between tourism enterprises of
the two countries.
--
To strengthen cooperation in the fields of the media and film for
better understanding and communication between the people of the
two countries.
( August 23, 2002)