China and Tajikistan signed?in Beijing?Monday a treaty on good-neighborly friendship and cooperation, agreeing to take bilateral relations to higher levels.

Chinese President Hu Jintao and Tajik President Emomali Rakhmonov signed the treaty after their talks in the Great Hall of the People.

The two presidents highly evaluated the achievements made by the two countries in the past 15 years in the development of their relations.

Rakhmonov arrived in Beijing Monday morning for a seven-day state visit to China as Hu's guest.

During the talks, Hu said the Chinese side will work with the Tajik side in advancing bilateral long-term, steady relations of good-neighborly friendship and cooperation from the following five aspects.

The first is to maintain bilateral high-level exchanges and other contacts at various levels to further political ties, continue mutual support on principled issues concerning their major interests, and conduct close cooperation in completing timely demarcation work.

The second is to expand reciprocal cooperation for common development with an improved trade structure, better cooperation in crucial areas as communications, power, telecommunications, mineral resources development, agriculture and border trade, and lay a sound legal basis for bilateral trade and investment.

The third is to strengthen security cooperation and jointly prevent and combat cross-border crimes and the "three forces", namely, terrorism, extremism and separatism.

The fourth is the expansion of cultural and educational cooperation to aid in enhancing mutual understanding and traditional friendship.

The fifth is to strengthen consultations and coordination on major international and regional issues including those existing within multi-lateral frameworks such as the United Nations and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

Agreeing with Hu, Rakhmonov said the Tajik side trusts the future development of bilateral relations, and will further improve bilateral political relations, promote cooperation in economy, trade, finance, mineral resources and power, and enhance cultural and educational exchanges.

He said the Tajik side will strengthen coordination and cooperation with the Chinese side in international and regional affairs and firmly fulfill its obligations to combat the "three forces".

According to the treaty, Tajikistan reaffirms that there is only one China in the world, and that the government of the People's Republic of China is the sole legal government representing the whole of China as well as that Taiwan is an integral part of Chinese territories.

"The Tajikistan government supports the efforts taken by the Chinese government to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity, opposes any attempt aimed at creating 'two Chinas' or 'one China, one Taiwan', opposes 'Taiwan independence' in any form including 'Taiwan independence in legal principle' and opposes the participation of Taiwan into any international or regional organization joined only by sovereign countries," said the treaty.

Tajikistan pledges not to establish official relations in any form and have any official contacts with the Taiwan authorities and not to set up a 'representative office' among the Taiwan authorities, said the treaty.

The treaty said China supports the policies of Tajikistan in strengthening national independence namely its sovereignty and territorial integrity while? safeguarding stability and developing its economy.

The treaty said the two countries are satisfied that the boundary questions left over by history between the two countries have been solved in a comprehensive manner, and both countries are determined to make the boundary one of peace and friendship for generations to come.

Any party to the treaty will not undertake any alliance that would hurt the other party and will refrain from any such action, according to the signed treaty.

"Once international or regional complicated situation occurs or crisis breaks out, which may threaten peace and security interests of any party, both parties will immediately coordinate with each other to make steps in preventing threats," said the treaty.

The two countries agreed to strengthen coordination and cooperation between relevant departments of both countries within the framework of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and continue to take strong measures in jointly fighting terrorism, separatism and extremism in any form, including the "East Turkistan" terrorist forces, and organized crimes, illegal migration, illegal trafficking of drugs and weapons and other cross-border crimes, according to the treaty.

The two countries stressed that maintaining peace, stability and lasting development in central Asia is in the common wishes and fundamental interests of peoples of all countries in the region and is of great significance to safeguarding peace in Asia and the world at large, said the treaty.

The treaty said that the two countries will thus strengthen coordination and cooperation within the framework of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and make sure that the SCO plays an important role in promoting regional economic and social development.

Five other agreements were also singed during the Tajikistan president's visit to Beijing, covering many areas, such as bilateral cooperation of economy and technology, civil aviation transportation and education.

(Xinhua News Agency January 16, 2007)