Chinese Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan said Sunday, January 21, that the reforms of the United Nations Security Council concern the interests of all the member countries and should be conducted on the basis of consultation and consensus through soliciting widespread opinions.
He said that "the main purpose of the reforms should be to further strengthen the functions and mechanism of the Security Council, so as to better contribute to the world peace and common development."
In response to a question at a press briefing after talks with UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, who are here at the invitation of the Chinese government, Tang said that any measures taken in the reforms should not "stimulate those existing differences and sharpen the conflicts."
Tang told reporters that he and Annan had "an extensive and in-depth exchange of views on the follow-ups of the UN millennium summit, the Security Council reforms, the UN peace-keeping operations, and some hot issues in the world."
On the Iraqi issue, Tang said that China's position has been consistent and clear. On the one hand, Iraq should "cooperate with the U.N. and completely implement the relevant resolutions of the Security Council, and on the other, as a sovereign nation, Iraq's sovereignty and territorial integrity should be respected by the international community," Tang stated.
"The Security Council should justly and objectively evaluate Iraq's implementation of relevant resolutions, and gradually lift the sanctions and finally free the Iraqis from the sanctions completely," he added.
China supports Annan's efforts to initiate dialogues with Iraq and hopes positive results will be generated from the communications, the foreign minister said.
On the political change in the Philippines, Tang said that the new Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo is an old friend of China, who has visited China many times.
He said that he believes the new Philippine government will carry on the previous governments' policy towards China.
(People’s Daily 01/21/2001)
