The Russian Federation and the People’s Republic of China, based on the relations of a comprehensive equal trust partnership and strategic interaction between the two states, recognizing their responsibility for ensuring international security and on the basis of the importance of maintaining global and regional strategic stability, state the following.
The parties recognize that at the moment international security is facing serious challenges, in connection with which the Parties intend to deepen mutual trust and strengthen cooperation in the strategic sphere, to insistently protect global and regional strategic stability.
The parties intend to continue to act in the spirit of the Joint Statement of the President of the Russian Federation and the President of the People’s Republic of China signed on June 25, 2016 in Beijing to strengthen global strategic stability and confirm the significance of the principles set forth in it.
Russia and China note with alarm the extremely dangerous actions of individual states, which, on the basis of their own geopolitical and even commercial gain, destroy or alter the existing architecture of arms control and non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD). In the pursuit of a strategic advantage in the military sphere, in the intention to ensure “absolute security” and in order to gain unlimited opportunities for military-political pressure on opponents of such states, mechanisms working to maintain stability are unceremoniously destroyed.
The parties emphasize the importance of maintaining good relations between the major powers for solving global strategic issues. Nuclear states bear great responsibility for maintaining international security and global strategic stability. They need to eliminate mutual concerns through dialogue and consultation, enhance mutual trust, strengthen common security, avoid misunderstandings and erroneous strategic decisions.
The parties emphasize that the nuclear powers should abandon the cold war mentality and zero-sum games, stop the unrestricted development of global missile defense (PRO), reduce the role of nuclear weapons in national security policies, and reduce the threat of nuclear war. .
The US denunciation in 2001 of the Treaty between the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and the United States on limiting missile defense systems, which for three decades was one of the pillars of a system for maintaining strategic stability, became the prelude to their global missile defense system. US actions, in particular, plans to develop strategic missile defense facilities and deploy them in various regions of the world and outer space, continue to negatively affect the international and regional strategic balance, security and stability.
The US decision to withdraw from the Treaty between the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and the United States of America on the Elimination of Their Medium-Range and Shorter-Range Missiles (DIST) can undermine strategic stability, increase the atmosphere of tension and mistrust, drastically reduce predictability in the nuclear missile sphere, and also lead to the arms race and the increasing conflict potential in many regions of the world. Russia and China are in favor of resolving disagreements between the parties to the INF Treaty through dialogue and consultation, restoring the viability of the INFRMS and preventing the development of events in the above scenario. The parties intend to maintain a close dialogue and coordinate their approaches in this area.
The collapse of the INF Treaty regime could have a negative impact on the prospects of the Treaty between the Russian Federation and the United States of America on measures to further reduce and limit strategic offensive arms, which expire in February 2021. Thus, for the first time in many decades, there is a risk of complete destruction of mutual control and transparency mechanisms for the two largest nuclear powers, which will have a very negative impact on efforts to create prerequisites for multilateral nuclear disarmament, already significantly complicates the world situation security.
The parties stress that the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) is one of the foundations of the modern international security system, a unique international treaty that harmoniously combines the tasks of non-proliferation of nuclear weapons, disarmament and equal interaction in the development of a peaceful atom. The parties are in favor of strengthening the nuclear nonproliferation regime, call upon all the NPT member states to actively implement the provisions of the outcome documents of the review conferences, actively promote the three key components of the Treaty: nuclear disarmament, nonproliferation of nuclear weapons and peaceful uses of nuclear energy. the NPT Review Conference.
The parties consider unacceptable the irresponsible approach of some states to fulfill their obligations under the NPT. Such states should abandon the practice of “joint nuclear missions” and return all nuclear weapons deployed outside the borders of nuclear countries to their national territories.
The parties stress the importance of the Joint Comprehensive Action Plan to resolve the situation around the Iranian nuclear program (FACS) and reaffirm their unwavering commitment to the sustainable and unconditional implementation of these agreements in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 2231 and Article 25 of the UN Charter. The parties note with satisfaction that the reports of the IAEA have consistently confirmed the rigorous fulfillment by the Iranian Party of its obligations under the FASA and declare their rejection of unilateral US sanctions against the Islamic Republic of Iran. The parties call on Iran to refrain from further steps to stop the fulfillment of the obligations under the SAPI, and the remaining participants of the SAPA to comply with their obligations.
The parties believe that the ban on nuclear testing is an important step in the implementation of comprehensive and final nuclear disarmament, and is also of great importance for world stability and global security. The parties also strongly support the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT). Russia and China note that the US declaration of non-ratification of the CTBT and the decision to start preparing the site for possible nuclear tests are a serious blow to the CTBT. The parties will continue to make all possible efforts for the early entry into force of the CTBT.
The parties believe that arms control is an essential tool for strengthening international security and stability. The central role in the arms control process belongs to the UN and its multilateral disarmament mechanism. The parties favor building up collective efforts in favor of multilateralism and consider it necessary to resume detailed multilateral work on the most pressing issues on the arms control agenda and to depoliticize such activities. Any measures in this area should be governed by the fundamental principles of the final document of the first special session of the UN General Assembly on disarmament in 1978. In particular,
A real concern is the real prospect of an arms race in outer space and turning it into an arena of military confrontation, which leads to the undermining of strategic stability. A ban on the placement of weapons of any kind in space could prevent the emergence of a serious threat to international peace and security. All countries should above all strictly observe international law providing for the use of outer space for peaceful purposes, including for maintaining international peace and security, promoting international cooperation and expanding mutual understanding between states. The international community needs to work together to improve the relevant legal system.
Russia and China welcome the work of the United Nations Group of Governmental Experts created to review and make recommendations on the substantive elements of a legally binding international instrument on the prevention of an arms race in outer space, including, inter alia, preventing the placement of weapons in outer space, and express regret in due to the fact that the United States blocked the adoption of the report in the Group.
The parties are in favor of the international community negotiating a legally binding multilateral document that would provide reliable guarantees for preventing an arms race in outer space and placing weapons in space, based on a Russian-Chinese draft treaty on the prevention of weapons placement in outer space force against space objects. The Conference on Disarmament – the only forum for conducting multilateral disarmament negotiations – plays a key role in the negotiations on an international agreement on the prevention of an arms race in outer space in all its aspects. Transparency and confidence-building measures help prevent the deployment of weapons in outer space. Russia and China believe
It is important to respect and strengthen the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production and Stockpiling of Bacteriological (Biological) and Toxin Weapons and on Their Destruction (BTWC), including through the adoption of a Protocol to the Convention, including an effective mechanism for verifying compliance with the BTWC, and joint efforts to counter activities that raise questions from the BTWC point of view. It is unacceptable to create international mechanisms that duplicate the functions of the BTWC and operate in circumvention of the UN Security Council.
The two sides highly value the Organization’s Prohibition of Chemical Weapons’s contribution to ridding the world of these weapons of mass destruction, and stress that the integrity, effectiveness and universalization of the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and on Their Destruction achieving the goal of this international treaty, maintaining peace and security. Cases of alleged use of chemical weapons by the international community should be considered on a depoliticized basis under the Convention.
Of serious concern is the continued use of chemical weapons for terrorist and provocative purposes, as well as the extremist organizations’ ability to manufacture such weapons. In response to the threat of chemical and biological terrorism, multilateral negotiations are needed to develop an international convention to combat acts of chemical and biological terrorism at the Conference on Disarmament.
The parties believe that the development of new branches of science and technology, as well as their reorientation to the military sphere, may affect arms control and, consequently, international security. It could also have a negative impact on global strategic stability, lead to changes in the forms and methods of warfare, the emergence of new dangers and risks, the emergence of intractable legal and political-diplomatic problems. The parties intend to strengthen interaction, jointly conduct an analysis of the regulation of the new strategic security dimensions. The parties also advocate that the international community, at the UN site, study the possible impact of the achievements in the field of science and technology on international security, as well as consider the issue of their legal regulation,
Russia and China express an unswerving commitment to working together to preserve and strengthen with great difficulty the system of international mechanisms in the field of non-proliferation and arms control. The parties call on the entire international community to share this approach and give a balanced assessment of the consequences of actions aimed at undermining the existing system of arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation agreements.
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