1. The People’s Republic of China and the Russian Federation reaffirm their comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination in the new era. They firmly uphold the international system with the United Nations at its center, the international order based on international law, and the central role of the United Nations in international affairs. They reiterate the 2016 Declaration of the People’s Republic of China and the Russian Federation on the Promotion of International law.

2. The People’s Republic of China and the Russian Federation believe that codification and progressive development of international law must take account of the realities of a multipolar world, primarily within the efforts taken under the aegis of the United Nations. They support widest possible participation of States in UN treaties and uniform interpretation and application thereof. They also note the importance of using the potential of regional, subregional and cross-regional multilateral mechanisms, organizations and integration systems such as BRICS or the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, in elaborating norms of international law, if this is in the best interests of the respective region and participating States.

3. The People’s Republic of China and the Russian Federation reaffirm their full commitment to the United Nations Charter, the 1970 Declaration on principles of international law concerning friendly relations and cooperation among States in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations as well as the basic principles of international law enshrined therein in their entirety and interdependence, such as sovereign equality and territorial integrity, non-intervention in the internal affairs of States, refraining from the threat or use of force in international relations, equal rights and self-determination of peoples, the pacific settlement of international disputes, fulfillment of international obligations in good faith, and international cooperation. They are also guided by the principles enshrined in the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence. The principles of international law are the cornerstone for a multipolar world system, just and equitable international relations featuring win-win cooperation, creating a community of shared future for mankind, and establishing a common space of equal and indivisible security and economic cooperation.

4. The People’s Republic of China and the Russian Federation share the view that the principle of sovereign equality is crucial for the stability of international relations. In line with this principle, States enjoy their rights on the basis of independence and on an equal footing, and assume their obligations and responsibilities on the basis of mutual respect.

5. States have the right to participate in the making of, interpreting and applying international law on an equal footing, and have the obligation to comply with international law in good faith and in a coherent and consistent manner. International treaties do not create either obligations or rights for third States without their consent. Matters not regulated by international treaties, such as the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties and the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, continue to be governed by the rules and principles of general international law.

6. The People’s Republic of China and the Russian Federation reaffirm the principle that States shall refrain from the threat or use of force in violation of the United Nations Charter and therefore condemn unilateral military interventions not based on individual or collective self-defense or Security Council resolutions adopted under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter.

7. The People’s Republic of China and the Russian Federation share the view that each country has the right to choose its development paths and political, economic, cultural and social system independently in accordance with its national conditions and the will of the people. No model of national development should be regarded as exceptional or superior to others.

8. The People’s Republic of China and the Russian Federation oppose and condemn unilateral sanctions that violate international law, in particular the principles of sovereign equality of States, State immunity and non-interference in internal affairs of States, and are not authorized by the Security Council, as well as long-arm jurisdiction and division along ideological lines, and emphasize that States have the right to conduct normal economic and trade cooperation.

9. The People’s Republic of China and the Russian Federation fully support the principle of non-intervention in the internal or external affairs of States, and condemn as a violation of this principle any interference by States in the internal affairs of other States, in particular when undertaken with the aim of forging change of legitimate governments. The People’s Republic of China and the Russian Federation condemn extraterritorial application of national law by States not in conformity with international law as another example of violation of the principle of non-intervention in the internal affairs of States.

10. The People’s Republic of China and the Russian Federation reaffirm the principle of peaceful settlement of disputes and express their firm conviction that States shall resolve their disputes through dispute settlement means and mechanisms that they have agreed upon. All means of settlement of disputes should serve the goal of resolving disputes in a peaceful manner in accordance with applicable international law, thus leading to de-escalation of tensions and promotion of peaceful cooperation among disputing parties. This applies equally to all types and stages of dispute settlement, including political and diplomatic means when they serve a pre-requisite to the use of other mechanisms of dispute settlement. It is crucial for the maintenance of international legal order that all dispute settlement means and mechanisms are based on consent and used in good faith and in the spirit of cooperation, and their purposes shall not be undermined by abusive practices.

11. The People’s Republic of China and the Russian Federation share the view that good faith implementation of generally recognized principles and rules of international law excludes the practice of double standards or imposition by some States of their will on other States, and oppose actions that violate the legitimate rights and interests of other countries and undermine the peace and stability under a false pretense of “rule of law” or a “rules-based order”. The adoption of unilateral coercive measures by States in addition to measures adopted by the United Nations Security Council can defeat the objects and purposes of measures imposed by the Security Council, and undermine their integrity and effectiveness.

12. The People’s Republic of China and the Russian Federation condemn terrorism in all its forms and manifestations as a global threat that undermines the international order based on international law. To counter this threat requires collective action in full accordance with international law, including the United Nations Charter.

13. The People’s Republic of China and the Russian Federation assert that international obligations regarding immunity of States, their officials and State property, including but not limited to property of the central bank or other monetary authority of State, diplomatic and consular property, cultural heritage of the State, must be honored by States at all times. 

14. The People’s Republic of China and the Russian Federation respect the rules of international law providing for the immunity of State officials from foreign criminal jurisdiction. They emphasize that under customary international law officials representing the State or exercising State functions enjoy immunity ratione materiae with respect to acts performed in an official capacity, while senior officials of States, including persons holding the offices of the Head of State, the Head of Government and the Foreign Minister, also enjoy absolute immunity ratione personae. The purpose of immunity of State officials is not to benefit individuals but to ensure the efficient performance of their official functions as persons representing States. Violations of these rules contradict the principle of sovereign equality of States and may contribute to escalation of tensions.

15. The People’s Republic of China and the Russian Federation recall their commitment to constructive cooperation in the fields of criminal justice, law enforcement and security. National and multilateral mechanisms of criminal justice must not be abused for narrow political purposes to the detriment of international relations and the rights of States guaranteed by international law. With this in mind, the People’s Republic of China and the Russian Federation undertake to safeguard the immunity of each other’s officials from their criminal jurisdiction under international law. In accordance with their respective treaty obligations and internal regulations, they refrain from assisting third parties, including third States and multilateral bodies, in exercising criminal jurisdiction over each other’s nationals in violation of generally recognized norms of international law. In particular, they will take full account of the immunity of each other’s officials when considering requests for extradition or legal assistance made by third parties. They may continue the dialogue on this matter and carry out concrete cooperation through diplomatic channels.

16. The People’s Republic of China and the Russian Federation call for continued efforts to strengthen the system of arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation treaties and at preserving its integrity and validity for maintaining global stability and international peace and security which is in the strongest interest of humankind. They emphasize the need to maintain the effectiveness and efficiency as well as the consensus-based nature of the relevant multilateral instruments in the field of disarmament, WMD non-proliferation and arms control.

17. The People’s Republic of China and the Russian Federation recall the Chinese-Russian proposal of the draft Treaty on Prevention of the Placement of Weapons in Outer Space and of the Threat or Use of Force against Outer Space Objects and confirm the need to launch urgently on its basis of the negotiations on development of a multilateral legally binding instrument that would provide fundamental and solid guarantees for the prevention of an arms race in outer space, placement of weapons in outer space, the threat or use of force against outer space objects. They also reaffirm the need to comply with and strengthen the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production and Stockpiling of Bacteriological (Biological) and Toxin Weapons and on their Destruction (BTWC), including by its institutionalization and adopting a legally binding protocol to the BTWC providing for, inter alia, an efficient verification mechanism.

18. The People’s Republic of China and the Russian Federation emphasize the important role of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea in maintaining the rule of law relating to activities in the Oceans. It is of utmost importance that provisions of this universal treaty are applied consistently, in such a manner that does not impair rights and legitimate interests of States Parties and does not compromise the integrity of the legal regime established by the Convention.

19. The People’s Republic of China and the Russian Federation reaffirm that international cooperation to address climate change and other global challenges should continue upholding true multilateralism. They consider that the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and its Paris Agreement serve as the basis of climate change cooperation, and call on the Parties to stay committed to their purposes and principles, in particular the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities.

20. The People’s Republic of China and the Russian Federation emphasize their joint commitment to plastic pollution prevention and control, support the conclusion of an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment, and agree that the content of the instrument shall respect the country-driven approach and be in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations and respective obligations under international environmental treaties.

21. The People’s Republic of China and the Russian Federation reaffirm that international law, in particular the Charter of the United Nations, is applicable and essential to maintaining peace and stability and promoting an open, secure, stable, accessible, peaceful and interoperable Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) environment. They welcome the adoption of the first ever universal instrument of international law in the field of preventing and combating ICT crime, the United Nations Convention against Cybercrime; Strengthening International Cooperation for Combating Certain Crimes Committed by Means of Information and Communications Technology Systems and for the Sharing of Evidence in Electronic Form of Serious Crimes. They support an early entry into force of the Convention to enhance international cooperation in preventing and combating ICT crime and a timely elaboration of an additional protocol to the Convention addressing, inter alia, additional criminal offences. They also recognize that further development of international law in this sphere is required.

22. The People’s Republic of China and the Russian Federation oppose using ICTs, in particular artificial intelligence technologies, for the purposes of manipulating public opinion, spreading disinformation, intervening in other countries’ internal affairs, social systems and social order, as well as jeopardizing the sovereignty of other States. They emphasize that artificial intelligence systems throughout their life cycle should be human-centric, reliable, explainable, ethical, inclusive, and based on applicable international law, in particular the Charter of the United Nations.

23. In line with their relationship of the comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination in the new era, the People’s Republic of China and the Russian Federation are resolved to further enhance their cooperation, including the promotion of equal and universal good faith interpretation and implementation of international law, to ensure the broadest possible support for the principles and rules of international law as expressed in this Declaration. They invite all States and international organizations to uphold these principles and rules and to cooperate in promoting a just and equitable international relations based on international law, equal and indivisible security and respect for security interests of all States thus contributing to the building of a community of shared future for mankind.

24. Having in mind the 80th anniversary of the Victory in the Second World War that helped to shape the very structure of relations between nations in the modern age including the founding of the United Nations, the People’s Republic of China and the Russian Federation agree to jointly safeguard the international system with the United Nations at its core, the international order underpinned by international law, and the basic norms governing international relations based on the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, as well as international fairness and justice.

Done at Moscow, on 8 May, 2025.