China said Tuesday that the United Nations (UN) should take Iraqi people's views into consideration when making decisions on the Iraq issue.  

Foreign Ministry spokesman Kong Quan said at a press conference that UN envoy Lakhdar Brahimi is visiting Iraq and working to submit a report to the UN Security Council on the Iraqi situation.

Kong said as a permanent member of the UN Security Council, China is greatly concerned about the Iraq issue and has actively and constructively participated in discussions.

"We believe that the United Nations should collect the views of different strata and different factions in Iraq on the transitional mechanism and election arrangements," Kong said. "The UN should consider the views before making decisions because they represent the opinions of the Iraqi people."

Kong said China has always maintained the Iraq issue should be solved within the UN framework, a view shared by the vast majority of world nations. He believed as preconditions to the UN's playing a major role in the Iraq peace process, security should be resumed in the country, the Iraqi people should govern Iraq and the reconstruction should be started as soon as possible.

China is gravely concerned about the Iraqi security situation, Kong said, promising China will keep in close communication with relevant countries. China would endeavor to help ease tension so that peaceful reconstruction can begin at an early date.

(Xinhua News Agency April 21, 2004)