|
China cautious on Iraq action
September 14, 2002 Posted: 1:00 AM EDT (0500 GMT)
Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan addresses the U.N.
General Assembly on Friday
UNITED NATIONS -- China, a key United Nations Security
Council member, has hinted it would not support
unilateral military action against Iraq.
Speaking in an address to the annual U.N. General
Assembly Friday Chinese Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan
said the U.N. should prevent what he called the "arbitrary
expansion" of the war on terror.
"We stand for a political settlement of the question
of Iraq. The United Nations should play an important
role in this regard," the Associated Press quotes Tang
as saying.
"Efforts should be made to prevent the arbitrary
expansion" of the war against terror, Tang said.
The words reinforce China's initial response to United
States President George Bush's tough speech on Iraq to
the U.N.
China had urged the United States to seek a
U.N.-backed solution to the Iraqi situation. (Full
story)
President Bush warned the Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein
to comply with U.N. resolutions to allow international
weapons inspections or face the consequences. But his
speech did not contain any hard evidence or smoking
gun against Iraq, as Chinese policy makers had hoped
to see.(Bush speech)
Analysts had suggested China could provide some
support to the United States in exchange for possible
sizeable concessions at a later date. (China eyes
gains on Iraq)
But Tang's speech Friday suggests China may not sign
onto any threat of force against Baghdad if it failed
to comply with U.N. resolutions.
In his address, Tang urged the international community
to refrain from "indiscriminate use of force."
China critical
As one of the five veto-wielding powers in the U.N.
Security Council, China's say is critical.
The U.S. needs to secure acquiescence, if not
endorsement, from China should Washington opt to take
military action to topple Saddam's regime.
Only last month China and Iraq reaffirmed their
friendly ties during a visit to Beijing by Baghdad's
foreign minister.
Tang used the opportunity Friday to reinforce China's
determination to root out "Turkestan terrorist forces"
seeking independence for China's Muslim northwestern
Xinjiang region.
"Proven terrorists, including the East Turkestan
terrorist forces, which have been trained, armed and
bankrolled by the Taliban and al Qaeda, must be
resolutely stamped out," Tang said.
In the same speech Tang told the 190-nation world body
that China would never allow Taiwan to become
independent.
China has viewed Taiwan as a wayward province since
their split in 1949.
"We will resolutely combat any act that would
contribute to the independence of Taiwan. We will
never permit anyone to separate Taiwan from China,"
Reuters news agency reports Tang as saying.
"All acts aimed at the independence of Taiwan are
doomed to fail. The great work of China's
reunification will surely be accomplished," he said.
The Associated Press & Reuters contributed to this
report.
|
