— China sees no need for an additional United Nations resolution on Iraq and believes weapons inspections should continue under a current resolution to avert war, its foreign minister said Thursday. He wouldn't say if Beijing would use its veto power on the Security Council.
Tang Jiaxuan said the current resolution being carried out by UN weapons inspectors was working.
"The tasks spelled out by that resolution are not completed yet," Mr. Tang said at a news conference. "We are still working hard for a political solution and trying to avoid war. ... At this moment, it is completely unnecessary to put aside Resolution 1441 and introduce a new resolution."
He said weapons inspections by UN personnel in Iraq "should be strengthened."
"We have to continue the inspections until we get to the bottom of this," Mr. Tang said. "Every effort has to be made to avoid war because war does not serve the interests of any country in the world."
Instead, it would produce a "catastrophic humanitarian disaster" and destabilize the political landscape there. It would also hurt what Mr. Tang called a global economic recovery.
The news conference — held in the Great Hall of the People, the seat of China's legislature — was attended by about 150 reporters, most of whom questioned him about Iraq. At one point, he laughed when a question turned again to Iraq.
The UN Security Council is divided on how to handle Iraq. The United States, Britain and Spain are trying to muster support for a resolution authorizing war against Saddam Hussein. Washington has indicated it might proceed with military action without UN approval.
On Wednesday, France, Russia and Germany — which want inspectors to be given more time to peacefully eliminate Iraq's weapons of mass destruction — warned they would block any UN authorization for military action.
"China's position is consistent with their joint statement," Mr. Tang said. "China endorses and supports the contents of that statement."
China is a permanent member of the UN Security Council and has veto power over any decision the United Nations makes on Iraq.
Asked whether it would actually use the veto, Mr. Tang demurred. "I think it is too early for you to raise this question," he said. "There is still a possibility for a political solution."
China describes its relations with Iraq as warm and has repeatedly called on Saddam Hussein to co-operate immediately with weapons inspectors. But Beijing, Washington's key trading partner, is considered unlikely to veto any American-sponsored resolution before the UN Security Council.
Mr. Tang stressed that a peaceful solution remains possible — and would be China's best outcome.
"The Iraq issue is now at a critical juncture of whether there will be a political solution or a military one," he said. "So we are still working hard for a political solution and trying to avoid war."
Mr. Tang said he would leave for the airport immediately after the news conference to fly to New York for a Security Council meeting on Iraq — the third such trip in four weeks that he has made.
"Even if there is only 1 percent of a chance, China, as a permanent member of the Security Council, will exert its utmost to make it come true."
Mr. Tang also cited anti-war sentiment that he said was being expressed around the world, saying it was the "best evidence" that war doesn't help the world.
