Xinhua News Agency Monday released an article on Sino-Russian relations written by Zhou Zunnan, a professor from the Foreign Affairs College. 

The article says that the treaty, signed by the Chinese President Jiang Zemin and Russian President Vladimir Putin last July, sets out in legal terms the sincere aspiration and determination of China and Russia to enjoy a lasting friendship without hostility. 

It says the treaty is a milestone in the history of Sino-Russian relations, showing the way for further cooperation betweenthe two countries in the political, economic, scientific and cultural fields. 

The treaty has pushed forward relations between China and Russia, and helped promote peace and stability in the region and internationally. It has had a great impact on building a just and reasonable new order throughout the world, the article says. 

The article specifically mentions the treaty has helped establish Sino-Russian relations which are nonaligned, non-confrontational and do not target a third country, and has rejected the old ideology of countries being aligned or confrontational. 

This, the article says, is a good example of new state-to-state relations, and a new idea in the history of international relations. 

The article says the Sino-Russian treaty for good-neighborliness, friendship and cooperation conforms to the fundamental interest of the two countries, and follows historical trends. 

After China and Russia established diplomatic ties in 1991 thetwo heads of states decided to establish bilateral ties that differed from those established in the cold war. The new bilateralties were to be in the people's interest and to meet strategic needs. 

Former Russian President Boris Nikolayevich Yeltsin proposed the two countries treat each other as friendly nations when he visited China in 1992, and the two countries established a constructive partnership looking to the 21st century when Chinese President Jiang Zemin visited Russia in 1994. Sino-Russian relations were steered towards a strategic and cooperative partnership oriented to the 21st century in 1996 during Yeltsin's visit to China. 

The article says the Sino-Russian treaty for good-neighborliness, friendship and cooperation demonstrates the principles and purpose of the Charter of the United Nations, and the acknowledged norms of international laws and relations. The two countries agree to develop neighborly, friendly and cooperative relations while mutually respecting sovereignty and territorial integrity, practicing non-aggression, non-interferencein each other's internal affairs and equality and offering mutualbenefits, while peacefully co-existing. 

The article says the treaty stipulates that the two countries, according to their own laws and their international responsibilities, should cooperate in cracking down terrorism, partition and extremism. 

The article says that great changes have taken place in the international arena over the past year, and the treaty has stood up to the test brought about by the changes and consequently Sino-Russian relations have continued to develop. 

The two countries have expanded cooperation in economics and trade and scientific and cultural fields. Trade between the two countries has exceeded 10 billion U.S. dollars. 

The article says that China and Russia have both taken active part in the campaign to fight terrorism since the "September 11" incident, and have improved their relations with the United Statesand other countries. The improvement of relations between the major powers will help bring peace, stability and development throughout the world, it says. Enditem

Xinhuanet 2002-07-15