Joint statement between the presidents of China and Russia

THE JOINT STATEMENT

BETWEEN

THE PRESIDENTS OF THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA AND

THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION

ON

COOPERATION IN INFORMATION SPACE DEVELOPMENT

We, the President of the People's Republic of China and the President of the Russian Federation,

Realize that given the rapid progress in information infrastructure facilities and information and communication technologies (ICTs), the information space has profoundly changed people's way of production and life, and substantially enhanced social development; that a secure, stable and prosperous information space is of great significance to the peace and growth of the two countries and even the whole world; that the two countries will make joint efforts to promote information space development to benefit both the Chinese and Russian peoples as well as people around the world;

Recognize that information space is currently faced with growing security challenges and severe abuse of information technologies; that all countries including China and Russia, sharing important common interests and cooperation fields in information space and based on the principles of mutual respect and trust, are supposed to ensure information space security, promote information space development and comprehensively engage in substantive dialogue and cooperation in this area;

Uphold as always the principle of respecting national sovereignty in information space; support each nation's reasonable demands of maintaining its own security and development; advocate for building of a peaceful, secure, open and cooperative information space; and explore the possibilities of developing universal rules of responsible behavior in information space within the UN framework;

Advocate for equal rights of all country to participate in Internet governance and acknowledge the right to ensure national security in information space based on its own laws and state system. Support the initiative of building a multilateral, democratic and transparent global Internet governance system and maintain UN's important role in setting up global Internet governance mechanisms;

Believe that further cooperation in information space within the framework of Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and Interaction between China and Russia is critical for safeguarding the interests of the two countries and international interests, in a broader sense;

Recalling the Joint Statement of the People's Republic of China and the Russian Federation on Strengthening Comprehensive Partnership and Strategic Cooperation and on Promoting Mutually Beneficial Cooperation, dated in May 2015,

In the hope of enhancing mutual trust in information space between the two countries, and building a fair and equitable system for information space development and security,

Have reached the following consensus:

1. Jointly advocate respect to and oppose infringements on every country's sovereignty in information space;

2. Jointly promote respect to every country's cultural traditions and social customs; resist the interference via information space in other countries' internal affairs, disruption of social order, incitement of inter-ethnic, inter-racial and inter-religious antagonism, and undermining national governance;

3. Step up scientific and technological cooperation in information space, jointly carry out research & development on ICTs, and expand the exchange of information and talent training between the two countries;

4. Strengthen economic cooperation in information space, enhance communication between enterprises of the two countries as well as multilateral cooperation, provide technical assistance to developing countries in order to bridge the digital divide;

5. Solidly protect citizens' legitimate rights and interests of the two countries on Internet, and jointly build a peaceful, secure, open and cooperative information space;

6. Make more efforts in preventing and combating the use of Internet for terrorist and criminal purposes; promote an initiative of setting up a coordinated response and cooperation mechanism within the UN framework, including on the issues of exploring the possibilities of new global legal instruments;

7. Advance cooperation in information security emergency response and information sharing of information security threat, and enhance cross-border information security threat management.

In order to implement the above mentioned tasks, Minister of Cyberspace Administration of the People's Republic of China and Aide to the President of the Russian Federation on Information Technologies Application, are designated as senior representatives of the two countries, responsible to meet regularly and have consultations on the issues of common concern, identify new mutually beneficial directions for cooperation in information space, put forward initiatives and ensure coordination of inter-agency cooperation.

Competent authorities including foreign affairs, law enforcement and communications etc. from both countries will continue to reinforce existing bilateral consultations with their counterparts and draw implementation roadmaps in their respective fields.

President of the People's Republic of China

XI Jinping

President of the Russian Federation

Vladimir Vladimirovich PUTIN