China, Russia to promote partnership and military cooperation

China and Russia have vowed to promote their strategic and cooperative partnership steadily and continuously and boost military cooperation and exchanges.

The strategic and cooperative partnership between the two countries has entered a new stage of development with bilateral political mutual trust reaching a new level and cooperation expanding in various fields, said a joint communique released on Sunday after visiting Chinese President Hu Jintao held talks with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, on the issues of bilateral relations, military cooperation, UN reforms and anti- terrorism.

The two nations will deepen the political mutual trust, expand cooperation for mutual benefits and strengthen their coordination on international and regional issues according to the principles and in the spirit of the Sino-Russian Good-Neighborly Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation signed on July 16, 2001.

The communique said both China and Russia maintain that they should continue working for a complete realization of the outline on implementing the good-neighborly treaty (2005-2008), which was endorsed by the heads of state on Oct. 14 last year and is of significance to bilateral cooperation in coming years.

The document also said both sides pointed out that the delimitation of the over-4,300-km-long boundary line between the two countries has been completed by the inking of the Supplementary Agreement on the Eastern Section of China-Russia Boundary Line last October and two border agreements on the eastern and western sections of the line in 1991 and 1994.

The two countries are determined to make concerted efforts and realize the agreements and other accords relevant to the delimitation through active measures to build the boundary areas into a strong link of friendship and cooperation between their peoples.

In addition, the communique stressed that both China and Russia will take mutual support on the major issues of national sovereignty, security and territorial integrity as an important character of their strategic partnership.

Russia reiterated its principle and position on China's Taiwan question, considering it as China's internal affairs and foreign powers have no right to interfere. The document said it adheres to the one-China principle, opposes "Taiwan independence" in any form and does not accept "two Chinas" or "one China, one Taiwan."

Russia opposes Taiwan joining the United Nations or any other international organization in which only sovereign states can gain membership and will not sell weapons to Taiwan.

It also expressed understanding for China's efforts for peaceful national reunification in compliance of the Anti- Secession Law, said the communique.

For the Chinese part, the document said it reiterated staunch backing for Russia's efforts in safeguarding national sovereignty and unification and fighting separatism and terrorism.

Both countries said they will give a full play to their national security consultation system and those of their relevant departments to cope with new challenges and threats together and safeguard common interests.

Moreover, the communique said China and Russia are ready to further their military cooperation and exchanges which both believe are playing an important role in boosting their mutual trust and making contribution to maintaining peace and stability in the region and the world as a whole.

The two countries said they will make concerted efforts for their first joint military exercise in the coming fall and they pointed out that the exercise does not aim at any third country but serves to improve the fighting capability of their forces to deal with new challenges and threats, said the communique.

Hu arrived here on Thursday for a state visit. He will also visit Kazakhstan. After Kazakhstan, President Hu will go to Britain to attend the G8 plus five summit.

Source: Xinhua