PACT OF NEUTRALITY BETWEEN FRANCE, RUSSIA AND CHINA
The Republic of France and its associated domains, protectorates, and states (hereafter referred to as France), the Russian Federation (hereafter referred to as Russia) and the Republic of China (hereafter referred to as China), moved by the desire to ensure peace, and convinced that it is in the interest of the three High Contracting Parties to improve and develop the relations between the three countries, have resolved to conclude a Treaty to this end and have designated as their Plenipotentiaries:
The Republic of France:
Mr. George Henri Masson, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Republic of China;
The Russian Federation:
Mr. Alexey Lobanov-Rostovsky, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Republic of China;
The Republic of China:
Dr. Chiang Kai-Chek, Prime Minister of the Republic of China;
Who, after having communicated to each other their full powers, found in good and due form, have agreed as follows:
Article I.
Each High Contracting Party undertakes to refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of force in any manner inconsistent with the purposes of the League of Nations.
Article II.
If there should arise between France and China or Russia and China any dispute likely to lead to a rupture they will speedily submit the matter either to arbitration or judicial settlement or to enquiry by the Council of the League of Nations concurrent to their responsibilities in Article 12 and 13 of the Covenant of the League of Nations.
Article III.
The engagements set out in Articles I, II, and III shall not in any way limit or modify the rights and obligations of either of the High Contracting Parties as a result of agreements concluded by them before the entry into force of the present Treaty.
Article IV.
Nothing in the present Treaty shall be held to affect in any way the rights and obligations of the High Contracting Parties under the Covenant of the League of Nations.
Article V.
If one of the High Contracting Parties commits an act of war or aggression against a third Power, the other High Contracting Party shall have the right to terminate the present Treaty immediately and without notice.
Article VI.
The present Treaty, of which the French, Russian and Chinese texts are equally valid, shall be ratified and the ratifications exchanged in Peking (Beijing) as soon as possible. It shall come into force on the date of the exchange of the ratifications and shall remain in force for one year from the day on which other of the High Contracting Powers notifies the other of his intention to terminate the Treaty. This notification shall not in any case be made before the expiration of a period of five years after the date on which the present Treaty enters into force.
In witness whereof the above-named plenipotentaries have signed the present Treaty and have affixed thereto their seals.
Done in duplicate in Beijing, the fifteenth day of January, year 1932 of the Christian Era, corresponding to the eighth day of the month of Ji-Chou (12th month), year 4629 of the Chinese Era.