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Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji and Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov signed a joint communiqué Thursday in Shanghai after the Seventh Regular Meeting of the two countries' prime ministers.
According to the communiqué, 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 communiqué says.
The meeting proceeded in a friendly and cooperative atmosphere and the two sides expressed satisfaction with the results, it says.
The communiqué 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 Communiqué Calls for New Concept of Security
The Sino-Russian joint communiqué 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 Communiqué Pledges to Boost Trade Cooperation
According to the joint communiqué, 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 communiqué 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 US$10.67 billion in 2001. The volume in the first half of this year totaled US$5.45 billion, a year-on-year increase of 18.7 percent.
China, Russia to Promote People-to-people Cooperation
The joint communiqué states that the two sides will increase cooperation in the fields of culture, education, health and the media.
The communiqué 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 communiqué:
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.
(People's Daily August 23, 2002)
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