Following are excerpts from the Treaty on Good Neighbourly Friendship and Cooperation between the Russian Federation and the People's Republic of China signed in Moscow on July 16:
"The agreeing sides shall not use force or the threat of force in their relations, shall not use economic or other means of pressure against each other and shall resolve disputes between themselves exclusively by peaceful means according to provisions of the United Nations Charter, other generally recognised principles and the norms of international law.
"The agreeing sides affirm the obligations to refrain from the first use of nuclear weapons against each other and from aiming strategic nuclear missiles at each other.
"The Russian side affirms the inalterability of its principled position on the Taiwan issue as presented in the political documents signed and adopted by the heads of both states from 1992 to 2000. The Russian side recognises that there is only one China in the world. The government of the People's Republic of China is the only legitimate government representing the whole of China, and Taiwan is an integral part of China. The Russian side opposes the independence of Taiwan in any form.
"The agreeing sides will carry out measures aimed at strengthening trust in the military sphere and the mutual reduction of armed forces in the border area on the basis of existing agreements.
"The agreeing sides will expand and deepen confidence-building measures in the military sphere in order to strengthen mutual security, and to strengthen regional and international stability. The agreeing sides will make efforts to provide for their own security based on the principle of reasonable sufficiency of armaments and armed forces.
"Military and military technical cooperation between the agreeing sides, carried out on the basis of the corresponding agreements, is not aimed against third countries.
"The agreeing sides will not participate in any unions or blocs, or take any actions, including signing of agreements with third countries, that would threaten the sovereignty, security or territorial integrity of the other agreeing side. Neither of the agreeing sides will allow the use of its territory by third countries in way that may threaten state sovereignty, security and territorial integrity of the other agreeing side.
"Neither agreeing side will allow the creation or activity on its territory of organisations and groups that threaten the sovereignty, security and territorial integrity of the other agreeing side.
"If a situation emerges which, according to one of the agreeing sides, poses a danger to peace, violates peace or infringes on interests of its security and if a threat of aggression arises against one of the agreeing sides, the agreeing sides will immediately make contact with each other and hold consultations in order to eliminate the emerging threat.
"The agreeing sides uphold the strict observance of generally recognised principles and norms of international law against any actions aimed at exerting pressure or interfering, under any pretext, with the internal affairs of the sovereign states and will make active efforts in order to strengthen world peace, stability, development and cooperation."
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