Russia and China Issue Joint Statement on Further Strengthening Comprehensive Partnership and Strategic Interaction
Beijing. The Russian Federation and the People’s Republic of China have issued a joint statement on further strengthening their comprehensive partnership and strategic interaction, and deepening relations of good-neighbourliness, friendship and cooperation. The statement, released in Beijing on May 20, expresses the commitment of both nations to elevating their bilateral relations to new heights.
“The Treaty of Good-Neighbourliness, Friendship and Cooperation between Russia and China not only fully reflects the deep historical traditions of good-neighbourliness and friendship between the Russian and Chinese peoples and their readiness to pass them on from generation to generation, but also embodies the universal human values of peace, development, equality, justice, democracy and freedom,” the statement declares. Both sides develop their relations in accordance with 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, peaceful coexistence, the sovereign right to choose one’s social system and development path, and the preservation of cultural and historical identity and traditional moral values.
The statement makes clear that Russia-China relations are not bloc-based or confrontational in nature and are not directed against third countries. It notes that the stable and comprehensive nature of these relations fully meets the fundamental interests of the two countries and their peoples, corresponds to the objectives of the comprehensive national development of both states, and makes an important contribution to advancing a just multipolar world and the democratisation of international relations.
According to the statement, both sides, guided by leaders’ diplomacy, shall consistently and fully implement the agreements reached by the heads of state, maintain close contacts at the highest and high levels, and ensure the effective and uninterrupted functioning of mechanisms for interaction between governments, legislative bodies, and political parties. Both sides shall continue to strengthen the traditional friendship between the armed forces of the two countries, deepen mutual trust in the military sphere, improve cooperation mechanisms, expand the practice of joint exercises and air and maritime patrols, strengthen coordination and interaction in bilateral and multilateral formats, jointly respond to various challenges and threats, and support global and regional security and stability.
The two sides have also pledged to continue enhancing contacts and exchanges in the field of trade policy, strengthen cooperation in key areas, identify new growth points, help raise the level of trade in goods and services, and firmly uphold the right to independently develop bilateral trade and economic partnership.
The statement notes that both sides are convinced of the need to fully eliminate the root causes of the Ukrainian crisis on the basis of compliance with the principles of the UN Charter in their entirety, totality and interconnection, with a view to ensuring mutual security and laying the foundations for lasting peace. Both sides support all efforts conducive to establishing long-term and sustainable peace, and advocate continuing the search for a solution through dialogue and negotiations.
Russia and China share the view that the military strikes by the United States and Israel against Iran violate international law and the basic norms of international relations, and seriously undermine stability in the Middle East. Both countries emphasise the need for the parties involved in the conflict to return to dialogue and negotiations as soon as possible in order to prevent the conflict zone from expanding. Furthermore, both sides reaffirm their commitment to a comprehensive, just and sustainable settlement of the Palestinian issue on a generally recognised international legal basis, with the two-state formula at its core.
