Jiang underlines Russia pact

Putin and Jiang oppose the proposed U.S. missile shield, saying it could trigger a new arms race

MOSCOW, Russia -- A new pact between Russia and China is aimed at guarding global security, Chinese President Jiang Zemin has told students at Moscow State University.

Jiang and Russian President Vladimir Putin signed the so-called Good Neighbourly Treaty of Friendship and Co-operation on Monday, replacing a 50-year old agreement intended to defend both countries' mutual interests and boost economic and cultural trade.

The new treaty "deepens mutual confidence," Jiang said, speaking Russian. "If we firmly and unfailingly implement this treaty, we will make Russian-Chinese relations an example of friendship."

Putin, who joined the Chinese leader at the university for the speech, commended Jiang for delivering the 40-minute speech in Russian. The president learned the language as a student in Moscow.

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Jiang and Putin vowed that the countries would be "friends forever, and never become enemies," but stressed the new arrangement was not a military pact.

"The military and military-technical cooperation between the two countries… is not directed against third countries," they said.

Russia's nuclear arsenal dwarfs that of China, which analysts say is keen to speed up military expansion through an alliance with Moscow.

Russia's defence industry is rich in expertise and advanced weapon design but short on orders from the country's own impoverished military.

During the 90s China had been the biggest customer at Russian defence factories, buying billions of dollars worth of Russian jets, submarines, missiles and destroyers.

The signing of the treaty also recognises Russia's backing of the Chinese claim on Taiwan, which Beijing views as a rebel province.

"Russia acknowledges that there is only one China, the government of the People's Republic of China is the only legitimate government representing all of China, and Taiwan is an inalienable part of China," the treaty said. "Russia opposes any kind of independence for Taiwan."

Both countries want to preserve the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) pact between Moscow and Washington as a basis for international stability.

Washington says that the ABM pact is a relic of the Cold War and wants the treaty amended or scrapped. U.S. President George W. Bush has made clear he will not allow the pact to stand in the way of a new missile defence system.

China and Russia fear the proposals could spark a global arms race and prompt the renewed production of nuclear weapons.

They say scrapping the ABM treaty would undermine a whole series of arms reduction treaties reached over the past 30 years and eliminate an effective instrument of maintaining international stability without offering any alternative.

"Russia and China stress the basic importance of the ABM treaty, which is a cornerstone of the strategic stability and the basis for reducing offensive weapons, and speak out for maintaining the treaty in its current form," said Putin and Zemin in a joint declaration .

The leaders also called for further reductions in strategic arms and for the creation of a "global nuclear non-proliferation mechanism," Reuters news agency said.

"Russia and China will step up their co-operation in nuclear non-proliferation including efforts to encourage all members of the international community to join the Nuclear Non- Proliferation Treaty," the declaration said.