On the afternoon of January 28, Vice Premier Qian Qichen held talks with visiting Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Tareq Aziz at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse.

Aziz informed Qian of the latest developments of the Iraqi issue and the related stance of the Iraqi government. He said that the Iraqi issue has lasted for 12 years and has led to extreme hardships for the Iraqi people, adding that Iraq hopes that sanctions against Iraq will be lifted as early as possible.

Qian said that China has been following the development of the situation in Iraq, has sympathized deeply with the Iraqi people’s sufferings caused by the long-standing sanctions, and has made great efforts to promote an early, just and rational settlement of the Iraqi issue. He said that China believes that relevant resolutions by the United Nations Security Council are the basis for resolving the Iraqi issue, adding that China does not support the expansion of anti-terror military action, at the same time hopes that Iraq will cooperate with the UN, to avoid new and complicated situations which might emerge. He expressed appreciation for the efforts Iraq has made recently to improve relations with the Arab countries, and expressed hope that this trend will continue.

Aziz spoke highly of China's principled position on the Iraqi issue, and expressed the hope that China will play a more active role in settling the Iraqi issue in a just and rational way.

The two sides also exchanged views on bilateral relations and issues of common concern.