Zhang made the remarks at the regular press briefing, stressing that, in the current circumstances, an open debate by the member states of the United Nations will help resolve the Iraq issue in an appropriate manner.

The UN Security Council began the open debate on Iraq Wednesday, with all 15 council members and some 50 other countries attending. Zhang noted that the debate has been lively. Zhang said that China hopes that the Iraq issue will be resolved through political and diplomatic means within the framework of the United Nations, and that Iraq will fully implement relevant resolutions of the UN Security Council without any reservation.

The most urgent matter now is the return of the UN inspectors to Iraq and the resumption of their work, she said.

China Respects Iraqi People's Decision

The election of Iraq's leaders is an internal affairs of the Iraqi people, and China respects the decision that the Iraqi people have made, the spokeswoman said.

The government of Iraq announced on Wednesday that Iraqi President Saddam Hussein won 100 percent of the vote in a nationwide referendum on whether he should serve another seven-year term.

Core of the Iraqi Issue is Disarmament

More countries echoed the widespread calls for Baghdad's compliance and peaceful solution as the UN Security Council resumed its two-day open debate on Thursday.

Zhang Yishan, China's deputy permanent representative to the UN, told the council that with the Iraqi issue unsolved, at stake are the peace and stability of the Gulf region, welfare of the Iraqi people, as well as the credibility and authority of the council.

"At core of the issue is disarmament," he noted. "Iraq should, as required by relevant council resolutions, cooperate fully during the process of eliminating its weapons of mass destruction."

He said that with a reopened door to Iraq, now the most important thing is to let the inspectors back and get their jobs done. He also called for a comprehensive solution to the Iraqi issued, aimed at alleviating the suffering of its people.

(People?s Daily October 18, 2002)