In July 2001 in Moscow, Chinese President Jiang Zemin and Russian
President Vladimir Putin signed the Sino-Russian Good-Neighborly
Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation. This came as a natural
development of increasingly good Sino-Russian relations over the
previous decade. The Treaty represents a milestone in the road of
friendship between the two countries.
Thanks to the joint efforts of the Presidents of both states,
Sino-Russian relations have moved forward in stages since the
establishment of diplomatic relations. First came mutual
recognition as friendly countries, this then progressed to a
constructive partnership and finally into a strategic cooperative
partnership. This is a Treaty of its times. It carefully reviews,
consolidates and then builds on the fruits of a decade of good
bilateral relations and of cooperation in an increasing number of
areas. It lays down guidelines for a rapid, healthy and sustained
development in Sino-Russian relations and points the way to the
future.
It
definitively establishes Sino-Russian relations as a strategic
partnership of cooperation characterized by equality and trust. The
Treaty highlights the extensive common interests of the two
countries both in their bilateral relations and in their
international affairs. It places the concept of peace in a legal
framework within which China and Russia will always treat each
other as friends and never as enemies.
Its aim is the development of long-term and sustained
good-neighborliness characterized by friendship and cooperation. It
seeks these mutual benefits alone and is not an alliance. It is
non-confrontational and is not directed towards any third country.
The signing of the Treaty marked the beginning of a new phase in
the development of Sino-Russian relations in a strategic
partnership of cooperation.
Cooperation between China and Russia has prospered in a number of
fields under the influence of the Treaty. A new momentum not often
seen in the affairs of states is gathering pace. It is
fourfold.
Firstly, political trust between the two countries continues to
grow. President Jiang Zemin and President Vladimir Putin share a
deep personal friendship and have kept in frequent contact.
On
June 6, 2002, the two presidents met again and held fruitful talks
in the course of the second summit meeting of the Shanghai
Cooperation Organization (SCO) in St. Petersburg. During their
meeting, the two presidents had a thorough exchange of views on the
complex and ever-changing international and regional situations as
well as on further development of bilateral relations and reached a
broad consensus. An increasingly close dialog between the partners,
China and Russia, has accompanied the increasing breadth and depth
of their cooperation in international affairs.
Secondly, cooperation between the two countries has expanded in
areas of their common interest. China and Russia are mutually
supportive and share significant advantages derived from
cooperation in many areas such as business, trade, science, human
resources, culture, education, public health, aviation and space
flight.
In
2001, despite a series of negative factors such as the slowdown in
world economic growth, the volume of trade between China and Russia
exceeded some US$10 billion. This was actually up some 33 percent
on the previous year.
Breakthroughs have been made in a number of large-scale cooperative
projects such as oil pipelines. The visit of a hundred Russian
entrepreneurs to China and the Moscow-Guangdong Forum on Business
and Trade have led to the successful signing of many new contracts.
This is indicative of the potential that can be released through
cooperation in business and trade between the two countries.
There have been considerable achievements in cooperation in the
fields of science and technology. These are manifested in a
pervasive new spirit of equality, mutual benefit, normalization,
order, pragmatism and creativity. The establishment of the
Sino-Russian Sci-tech Park in Zhejiang and the Sino-Russian
Sci-tech Co-operation and Industrialization Center in Heilongjiang
are now being followed by a new Sino-Russian Sci-tech Park in
Russia.
The militaries of China and Russia have maintained their high-level
contacts. They have cooperated in joint efforts to strike at
terrorism, extremism and separatism in order to safeguard regional
peace and stability under the framework of the SCO.
Thirdly, cultural exchanges between the two countries have been
enhanced with the introduction of new channels and more
opportunities for exchange. The Chinese and Russian peoples share a
deep affection for each other's cultures.
In
the past year, through good work of the Sino-Russian Committee for
Peace, Friendship and Development, the youth of the two countries
have exchanged visits. The Chinese Film Week held in Moscow and St.
Petersburg was a success and this fall will see a Russian Film Week
in China.
In
April 2002 new arrangements for meetings of the Cultural Ministers
of the SCO countries were launched in Beijing. This has added
impetus by providing a new forum for promoting Sino-Russian
cultural exchanges.
Such exchanges have served to deepen the mutual understanding of
the two peoples. They strengthen our resolve to treat each other as
friends and never as enemies.
Fourthly, the two treaty partners have further strengthened their
strategic cooperation in the cause of world peace and
development.
As
influential world powers and permanent members of the UN Security
Council, China and Russia have actively discussed and effectively
coordinated their cooperative approach to the maintenance of global
strategic balance and stability. Together they have solved regional
hot issues, defended the dignity of the Security Council and played
their part in the anti-terrorism struggle in the wake of the
September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on America.
Such developments are proof indeed of a role for co-ordination and
cooperation between China and Russia in both international and
regional affairs, which is crucial not just for mutual development
but also for world peace.
Clearly the Sino-Russian Good-Neighborly Treaty of Friendship and
Cooperation is right for these times. It accords with the interests
of the two countries and embodies the will of the two peoples. Its
vitality and strength have prompted further progress in
Sino-Russian relations.
We
have good reason to believe that under the influence of the Treaty,
Sino-Russian relations will go on to progress even further. This
will not only be to the benefit of the two countries and their
peoples, it will also represent a significant contribution to the
cause of world peace and development.
(The author, Zhang Deguang, is ambassador of the People's Republic
of China to the Russian Federation.)
(China.org.cn, translated by Chen Chao, July 16, 2002)