CHINA: China, a permanent member of the UN Security Council, said yesterday it was talking to the United States about possible US plans to attack Iraq but was still opposed to military action.
"The United States has contacted China on the issue," Foreign Ministry spokesman Kong Quan told a news conference. "The two sides are in discussions."
Kong reiterated Beijing's position that China opposes the use of force against Iraq but urges Baghdad to resume co-operation with UN weapons inspectors.
"China has said repeatedly that we disapprove of the use of force against Iraq or the threat to use force. The Iraq issue should be resolved by political means within the framework of related UN resolutions," he said.
President Bush said on Wednesday he would ask US Congress to back possible military action against Iraq and would outline the threat posed by its arms programme to the UN and leaders of Britain, Russia, China, France and Canada.
China shied away from joining an international coalition before the 1991 Gulf War against Iraq and repeatedly abstained from votes on the isssue in the UN Security Council, where it has veto rights as one of five permanent members.
Beijing was also a critic of UN sanctions against Iraq after the Gulf War and was the only permanent member of the security council to call for restraint after a US missile strike on Baghdad in 1993. Mr Bush appears to have hardened his position on Iraq in recent months, fuelling speculation he will take the war on terrorism to Baghdad, which he fears may use weapons of mass destruction or give them to militants who could "blackmail" the world.
But last week, Chinese Foreign Minister Mr Tang Jiaxuan told visiting Iraqi counterpart Mr Naji Sabri that using force was "unhelpful in solving the Iraq issue and will increase regional instability and tensions", the official Xinhua news agency reported. "The sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Iraq should also be respected," Mr Tang said. Other countries, including India, Germany and Egypt, have also expressed opposition to US military action in Iraq, casting doubt on US assurances it would find international support if it decided to invade the country.
Beijing has long had military and commercial ties with Iraq, described by Bush as part of an "axis of evil" with Iran and North Korea.
A CIA report submitted to US Congress on January 30th accused China of providing dual-use missile-related items, raw materials, and assistance to countries including Iran and North Korea.
The report did not link China to current Iraqi weapons programmes, but Chinese telecommunications firm Huawei Technologies withdrew from a project in Iraq after the US said it was helping President Saddam improve air defences. Beijing is keen to ensure US action does not open the door to military intervention in its own backyard, especially Central Asia. - (Reuters)