Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao said China would allow the 20-plus foreign people who had intruded into the embassy of the Republic of Korea (ROK) to leave China on condition that they have not committed crime in China.
Liu told Xinhua that the Chinese side would deal with the issue in accordance with relevant international and domestic laws and in a humanitarian spirit.
About 20 unidentified people tried to force their way into the ROK embassy to China in Beijing on May 23, Liu said.
The Chinese and ROK sides held many rounds of consultations in Beijing through various diplomatic channels and at various levels, he said.
Both sides said they felt pity on the intrusion and other events afterwards, he said.
He also said that the ROK side said that it fully understood and respected the stand of the Chinese side on not allowing any diplomatic residence to become underpass for illegal immigration.
Liu said that China would verify identities of the foreign people before allowing them to leave.
(Xinhua News Agency June 24, 2002)
