China has appealed to relevant world parties to break the deadlock and work out a solution for the Iraqi issue, Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Zhang Qiyue said in Beijing Tuesday.

Zhang said Chinese Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan recently wrote letters to his counterparts in the United States, Russia, France and Britain, which are permanent members of the UN Security Council, and to the UN Secretary-General, respectively, expressing concerns about the current humanitarian situation in Iraq.

In the letters, Tang briefed the group on the recent visit by Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Tarik Aziz to China, Zhang said when answering a question raised by reporters at a regular press conference.

The letters also said China supports efforts by UN Secretary-General to break the deadlock in the Iraqi problem and "appeals to all parties involved to display political will and find ways to break the deadlock in the Iraqi problem," she said.

Aziz was invited to visit China from November 26 to 28. Chinese President Jiang Zemin, Vice Premier Qian Qichen and Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan met with Aziz and exchanged views with him on the Iraqi situation.

(Xinhua 12/05/2000)