China welcomes the new partnership between Russia and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), Foreign Ministry spokesman Kong Quan said Thursday.

He told a regular press conference that China hoped the deal would contribute to peace and stability in Europe and the world.

Russia and NATO signed a declaration in the Italian capital Rome on Tuesday on the establishment of a new Russia-NATO council.

"From a broader perspective, we hope this can help to establish a new security concept based on mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality and coordination," Kong said.

The Chinese government has always opposed military alliances and maintains that the international community should set up a new security framework, in which all countries would work together to create a long-term, reliable and stable international environment of peace, Kong added.

Kong said China hopes NATO will abide by the United Nations Charter and play an important role in safeguarding peace and stability in Europe as well the world as a whole.

China also welcomes the progress made in the relationship between the two major nuclear powers Russia and the United States, regarding this as beneficial to world peace and stability, he said.

Kong then spoke about the issue of three people who entered the South Korean Embassy last week. He said their identity had still not been verified because the embassy had not handed over the individuals to the Chinese authorities, Kong said.

He stressed that China's policy on dealing with those who intrude into foreign embassies would never change. The Chinese government will deal with illegal intruders according to international and domestic law and in a humanitarian spirit, he added.

Kong then commented on reports that New Zealand Foreign Minister Phil Goff had recently met the Dalai Lama. The spokesman said the Dalai Lama should not be regarded as a religious figure but instead as a political exile who has engaged in separatist activities under the cloak of religion.

"We hope New Zealand will give serious consideration to China's position," Kong said.

Kong noted that, on May 28-29 China and India held the second meeting of the China-India Eminent Persons' Group and the participants included people from politics, economics, culture and other fields.

They exchanged views and put forward suggestions and proposals with the aim of benefiting mutual understanding and bilateral relations as well promoting cooperation in all sectors.

The meeting was convened in accordance with the consensus reached between leaders of both countries in May 2000. Its first session was held in India last September.

(China Daily May 31, 2002)