REMARKS BY THE SPOKESPERSON

CHINA FOREIGN MINISTRY

February 25, 2003

Excerpts

Q: What is your comment on the new resolution proposed by the US and other countries on Iraq?

A: You have all known that Secretary of States Powell visited China yesterday. Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan held talks with him and President Jiang and Vice President Hu met with him respectively. Powell informed the Chinese side on the next phase consideration of the US on the Iraqi question including tabling a new resolution on the Iraqi question to the UN Security Council very shortly. Minister Tang made clear China’s position which can be summarized as first, stressing that the Iraqi question should be solved politically within the UN framework; secondly, UN Resolution 1441 should be implemented in full and in particular Iraq should implement it fully, strictly and earnestly.  Inspection should be continued to sort out question so there is no need for a new resolution at this stage.

Q: Does Powell’s visit bring China and the US closer on the Iraqi question and the DPRK nuclear question? Or difference still remains?

A: You can draw your own conclusion since the Chinese media has reported it in full.

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Q: You mentioned that Minister Tang made clear that no second resolution is needed on the Iraqi question during his meeting with Secretary Powell. If the US does table such a resolution, will the Chinese side give it a study or object it directly?

A: Today is the second day since the new resolution was proposed. We have made it very clear that there is no need to table a new resolution since implementation of Resolution 1441 has not finished. Members of the Security Council is now having close consultation on the implementation of the resolution. At present, we are all waiting for the report to be submitted by the two agencies of the UN. The priority at this stage is the implementation in full of Resolution 1441 that had been unanimously adopted by all the members of the Security Council. It is not necessary to table a new resolution before Resolution 1441 has finished implementation.  The Chinese side insists that we should concentrate our efforts and work together to implement well Resolution 1441. Currently Security Council members have some differences on the Iraqi question but we need to see that all fifteen members   and majority of the international community all agree that the main goal set in Resolution 1441 is to investigate and eliminate all Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction.

Q: While the US tabled a new resolution on Iraq, France, Germany and Russia proposed a MOU calling for continued inspection which China has offered its support. Why hasn’t China directly take part in the MOU? In addition, what are the topics of the visit by Russian Foreign Minister scheduled tomorrow?

A: The main content of the MOU submitted by France, Russia, Germany on 24 is stressing on the need to strengthen the inspection regime and eliminate the weapons of mass destruction that Iraq may possibly have, which China completely agrees with and clearly supports.

On the second question you mentioned, Russian Foreign Minister will pay an official visit to China from 26 to 28 February. The visit is a part of the mechanism of exchange of visits between the foreign ministers of China and Russia. It was scheduled at the end of last year and was proponed due to reason of agenda. As far as I know, Foreign Minister Tang will have an in-depth exchange of views with his Russian counterpart and plan the high level exchange of visits and important cooperation between the two counties this year. I believe that the two foreign ministers will also exchange views on the current major international and regional issues, including of course the Iraqi question and the DPRK nuclear question. According to what I know, President Jiang is likely to meet with him and the two sides are preparing some documents of cooperation.

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