Full text: Consensus of first round of China-US Diplomatic and Security Dialogue

World Today

The relevant consensus of the first round of China-US diplomatic and security dialoguePhoto from xinhua

China and the United States on Wednesday held a high-level dialogue on diplomatic and security issues, vowing to promote bilateral ties by broadening cooperation and managing differences. The following is the full text of the consensus reached.

1. The two sides commend the development of the bilateral relations following the meeting between the two Presidents at Mar-a-Lago and are both committed to work, in accordance with the consensus reached by the two Presidents at that meeting, to make joint efforts to expand mutually-beneficial cooperation, manage differences on the basis of mutual respect, and promote the sound and steady development of China-U.S. relations in the long term.

2. The two sides recognize that maintaining close high-level exchanges is very important and are willing to make joint efforts to achieve positive outcomes for the Hamburg meeting between the two Presidents in July and President Trump’s state visit to China in 2017.

3. The two sides are willing to strengthen dialogue and cooperation to promote peace, stability and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific region. The two sides decided to discuss basic principles that can improve our interactions.
The two sides both support efforts to maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea, support resolving disputes by peaceful means, based on friendly consultations and negotiations, in accordance with recognized principles of international law, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and support the management of disputes through dialogue.

4. The two sides reaffirm their commitment to achieving the goal of complete, verifiable, and irreversible denuclearization and maintaining peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula. The United States and China reaffirmed the goals enshrined in the DPRK-related UNSC resolutions. The two sides are ready to continue their efforts to this end, including by fully and strictly implementing relevant UNSC resolutions, and by promoting relevant dialogue and negotiation. The two sides decided to maintain communication and cooperation regarding the nuclear issue on the Peninsula.

5. Both sides recognized the China-U.S. military-to-military relationship is an important stabilizing factor to the overall bilateral relationship. The two sides actively pursue a productive relationship that is constructive, pragmatic, and effective. Both sides committed to implement in good faith the annual mil-to-mil exchange program, enhance high-level engagements, realize the exchange of visits between the two defense ministers at an early date and the visit of the Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff to China at an early date. The two sides are committed to deepening their cooperation in such fields as humanitarian assistance and disaster management, fighting piracy and military medical science.

The two sides reaffirm the importance of building mutual understanding, and of reducing the risk of miscalculation between our two militaries. The two sides reiterate their commitment to implement the Memoranda of Understanding on Confidence Building Measures including Notification of Major Military Activities and Rules of Behavior for Safety of Air and Maritime Encounters.
The two sides decided to increase their support for UN peacekeeping, including rapid deployment of UN peacekeeping missions and ensuring the safety and security of peacekeepers, China and the U.S. committed to strengthening third-party cooperation regarding peacekeeping capacity-building in Africa and to work together with African partners to identify key peacekeeping capability gaps for capacity-building by the end of 2017.

6. The two sides decided to enhance exchange and cooperation in the areas of strategic security, including exploring new confidence-building measures. The two sides are willing to deepen communication on outer space, developing international norms for cyberspace, and other topics, and their competent departments decided to conduct relevant consultations. The two sides reiterated their commitment to the nonproliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery.

7. The two sides are continuing to implement the China-U.S. Joint Statement on Nuclear Security Cooperation, hold annual bilateral dialogue, deepen practical cooperation, and make good use of such platforms as China’s National Center of Excellence on Nuclear Security and the China Customs Radiation Detection Training Center, providing public goods on nuclear security for the Asia-Pacific and the rest of the world.

8. The two side are strengthening exchanges and cooperation in such fields as sharing global counter-terrorism information, combating the use of the internet for terrorist purposes, preventing cross-border movement of foreign terrorist fighters, and countering terrorist financing.

9. China and the U.S. reaffirm that they are enhancing concrete cooperation in public and global health security. The two sides encourage voluntary participation in WHO Joint External Evaluation. The two sides intend to enhance cooperation on anti-microbial resistance and other concerns. The two countries decide to strengthen African countries’ public health capacity.