The Foreign Affairs Committee of China's
National
People's Congress (NPC) expressed grave worries Friday over the
military actions against Iraq by the United States and a number of
other countries, strongly calling for a halt to the operations.
In
a statement, the Foreign Affairs Committee of the NPC, China's top
legislature, said that on March 20 the United States and some other
countries launched military actions against Iraq.
"We hereby express our grave worries," the statement said.
China, as a permanent member of the Security Council of the United
Nations, has always devoted itself to safeguarding the unity,
authority and role of the Security Council, it said.
China has always stood for a political solution to the Iraq issue
within the UN framework, and urged the Iraqi government to
strictly, fully and earnestly implement relevant Security Council
resolutions and to destroy completely any weapons of mass
destruction, the statement said.
Meanwhile, China maintains that Iraq's sovereignty and territorial
integrity should be respected, it said.
The statement said Resolution 1441, adopted unanimously by the
Security Council, is an important basis for a political settlement
of the Iraq issue. China has never given up a glimmer of hope for
peace, and has always been making unremitting efforts to this end,
along with relevant parties, it said.
The people of China and the rest of the world long for peace, the
statement said.
"We have always been committed to safeguarding world peace and
stability, have always stood for settling international disputes by
political means and have always opposed resorting to force in
international disputes."
The military actions against Iraq by the United States and other
countries would cause humanitarian disasters, casualties and the
loss of property of the Iraqi people, while endangering peace and
stability in the region, the statement said.
"We are deeply worried about the development of the situation," the
statement said. "We strongly appeal to the relevant countries to
comply with the will of the international community, stop military
actions and promptly return to the track of seeking a political
solution."
(Xinhua News Agency March 21, 2003)