President Hu Jintao Calls for Peace
in Iraq
Chinese President Hu Jintao
met with visiting Pakistani Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah
Khan Jamali in Beijing on March 25.
On the Iraq issue, Hu said the Chinese Government
has always insisted on a political solution within the
framework of the United Nations and has made unremitting
efforts to this end. He said it is
regrettable that war has broken out and China is deeply
worried about the humanitarian disasters and impact on
regional and global peace, stability and development that it
would cause.
The president said peace is
the common aspiration of people around the world. China
calls for the countries involved to stop military actions as
soon as possible and return to the correct path of solving
the Iraq issue by political means.
The Chinese Government has
already sent and will continue to offer humanitarian
assistance to the Iraqi people suffering from war, Hu
said.
Chinese Premier:
China Is Concerned About Iraq
Situation
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao held talks with his
visiting Pakistani counterpart Mil' Zafarullah Khan Jamali
in Beijing on March 24. The two leaders exchanged views on
bilateral relations and the international situation.
Wen said although the current global
situation is undergoing profound changes, peace, development
and cooperation remain the objective of most people. He said
China is an important force in maintaining global peace,
stability and development and will play an active and
constructive role in international affairs.
He said China, deeply concerned about
the current situation in Iraq, has maintained a consistent
and clear stance on the issue. "It has made unremitting
efforts to solve the issue through political means," he
added.
The Chinese premier called for an early cessation
of the war in Iraq and the return to the right path of
political solution within the framework of the United
Nations so as to reduce the humanitarian catastrophe
suffered by the Iraqi people and to safeguard the
sovereignty and territorial integrity of Iraq.
Foreign Ministry
Issues Statement on Iraq Issue
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the
People's Republic of China issued on March 20 a statement on
the military operations against Iraq by the United States
and some of its allies. Following is the
full text of the statement: On March
20, bypassing the UN Security Council, the United States and
some other countries launched military operations against
Iraq. The Chinese Government hereby expresses its serious
concern.
The Chinese Government has
all along stood for a political settlement of the Iraq issue
within the UN framework, urging the Iraqi Government to
fully and earnestly implement relevant Security Council
resolutions and calling for respect for Iraq's sovereignty
and territorial integrity by the international
community.
Security Council Resolution
1441 adopted unanimously last November is an important basis
for a political settlement of the Iraq question. It is the
widely held view in the international community that the
strict implementation of Resolution 1441 can deny Iraq
weapons of mass destruction through peaceful means. The
Chinese Government has worked tirelessly with various
countries to this end. War will
inevitably lead to humanitarian disasters and undermine the
security, stability and development of the region and the
world at large. People throughout the world detest war and
want to see peace preserved. The Chinese Government is
always committed to peace and stability in the world. We
stand for settlement of international disputes by political
means and reject the use or threat of force in international
affairs. The Chinese Government strongly appeals to the
relevant countries to stop military actions and return to
the right path of seeking a political solution to the Iraq
question.
Statement of NPC
Foreign Affairs Committee On Military Actions Against
Iraq
The Foreign Affairs Committee of China's National
People's Congress (NPC) issued a statement on March 21,
expressing grave worries over the military actions against
Iraq by the United States and some of its allies and
strongly calling for a halt to the operations.
Following is the full text of the
statement:
On March 20 the United
States and some other countries launched military actions
against Iraq. We hereby express our grave worries.
China, as a permanent member of the UN
Security Council, has always devoted itself to safeguarding
the unity, authority and role of the Security Council. It
has always stood for a political solution to the Iraq issue
within the UN framework, and urged the Iraqi Government to
strictly, fully and earnestly implement relevant Security
Council resolutions and to destroy completely any weapons of
mass destruction. Meanwhile, China maintains that Iraq's
sovereignty and territorial integrity should be respected.
Resolution 1441, adopted unanimously by the Security
Council, is an important basis for a political settlement of
the Iraq issue. China has never given up a glimmer of hope
for peace, and has always been making unremitting efforts to
this end, along with relevant parties.
The people of China and the rest of the world long
for peace. We have always been committed to safeguarding
world peace and stability, have always stood for settling
international disputes by political means and have always
opposed resorting to force in international
disputes.
The military actions against Iraq by the United
States and other countries would cause humanitarian
disasters, casualties and the loss of property of the Iraqi
people, while endangering peace and stability in the region.
We are deeply worded about the development of the situation.
We strongly appeal to the relevant countries to comply with
the will of the international community, stop military
actions and promptly return to the track of seeking a
political solution.
Statement of CPPCC Foreign Affairs
Committee On Military Actions Against
Iraq
The Foreign Affairs Committee of the Chinese
People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) National
Committee issued on March 21 a statement on the military
actions against Iraq by the United States and some of its
allies.
Following is the full text
of the statement: On March 20,
without authorization from the UN Security Council and
ignoring the world's common wish for peace, the United
States and some other countries went their own way and
launched military actions against Iraq. CPPCC National
Committee members from all political parties, social groups,
all walks of life and ethnic groups are shocked and
concerned about this. For a long
period, the United Nations has made unremitting efforts to
solve the Iraq issue peacefully through political means and
has made positive progress. In particular, Resolution 1441,
passed unanimously by the UN Security Council, laid a sound
basis for the UN weapons inspectors to carry out their
mission and realize the goal of denying Iraq weapons of mass
destruction through political means. When the door for peace
was still open, the United States and some other countries
wantonly used force against a sovereign country. Those
activities, trampling over the UN Charter and the basic
norms of international relations, set a vicious precedent
for international relations in the 21st century. The
military actions will not only cause humanitarian disasters
for the Iraqi people, undermine the security, stability and
development of the region and the world at large, but cause
grave harm to the people of the United States as
well.
The CPPCC National Committee
firmly supports the Chinese Government's stance and
proposition on solving the Iraq issue. The Chinese people
have been consistently committed to maintaining world peace
and stability and rejecting the use or threat of force in
international relations. We are deeply worried about the
condition of the Iraqi people trapped in the war. We appeal
for the safety of lives and property of Iraqi civilians to
be protected under any circumstances. Iraq's sovereignty and
territorial integrity should be respected and maintained. We
strongly call for the countries concerned to comply with the
appeal of the international community, stop military actions
and continue to seek a political solution to the Iraq issue
within the UN framework.
Chinese Islamic Association Appeals
for Halt Of Military Actions Against
Iraq
The Islamic Association of China issued a
statement on March 22, strongly calling for the United
States and other countries to stop military actions against
Iraq.
Following is the full text
of the statement: On March 20, the
United States and some other countries, bypassing the UN
Security Council and ignoring the opposition of the
international community, launched military actions against
Iraq. The Chinese Foreign Ministry had issued a solemn
statement on this. The Association fully supports the
Chinese Government's principled stance on the Iraq
issue.
The United States and some
other countries have outrageously started military actions
against Iraq, regardless of the diplomatic mediation and
efforts made by the international community to avoid war and
the anti-war voices expressed by the people in most nations,
including the American people. The Association is greatly
indignant at their actions and strongly condemns them. We
also express our great concern and sympathy to the Iraqi
people who are suffering from the agony of war. The
Association strongly calls for the United States and some
other countries to stop military operations, and return to
the correct path of political settlement of the Iraq
issue.
Islam adwocates for peace
and more than 20 million Chinese Muslims love peace and
oppose war. The stances and opinions that the Chinese
Government holds on the Iraq issue represent the wishes of
the Chinese people, including the Muslims.
We, the Chinese Muslims, should start from the
national fundamental interests and speak out the wishes for
peace and anti-war sentiments through normal channels. We
believe Allah is just. Let's pray Allah for delivering Iraqi
Muslim brothers and sisters from the disasters of war as
early as possible and blessing the world with peace and
tranquility.
Amin!
Islamic Association of China March 22,
2003
Open
Letter of Chinese Islamic Association
President
Imam Chen Guangyuan, President of the Islamic
Association of China, published an open letter on the U.S.-
led military actions against Iraq to all Chinese Muslims
onMarch 22.
The full text of the letter
follows:
In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most
Merciful.
Muslim brothers and sisters
of all ethnic groups across the country:
Assalamu Alaikum Wa Rehmatullahi Wa
Barakatuhu!
On March 20, the United
States and some other countries, bypassing the UN Security
Council and ignoring the opposition of the international
community, launched military actions against Iraq. The
Chinese Foreign Ministry and the Islamic Association of
China had issued solemn statements on this. I fully support
the Chinese Government's principled stance on the Iraq
issue.
We express our great
indignation and condemnation over the military actions
against Iraq by the United States and some of its allies,
who have ignored the diplomatic mediation and efforts made
by the international community to avoid war and the anti-war
voices expressed by the people in different countries,
including the American people. We are also concerned about
and sympathetic with the Iraqi people who are suffering from
the agony of war. We call the United States and other
countries to stop military operations, and return to the
correct path of political settlement of the Iraq
issue.
Islam advocates for peace
and more than 20 million Chinese Muslims love peace and
oppose war. The stances and opinions that the Chinese
Government holds on the Iraq issue represent the wishes of
the Chinese people, including the Muslims.
Chinese Muslims have a fine tradition of loving
their motherland, Islam and peace. We believe that the
Chinese Government will uphold its stances and continue to
make diplomatic efforts for an early settlement of the Iraq
issue. We sincerely hope that all Muslims across the country
will start from the national fundamental interests, remain
cool- minded and calm, and speak out the wishes for peace
and anti-war sentiments through normal and lawful channels,
instead of taking extreme actions on impulse that may lead
to results contrary to what we hope for or harmful to social
stability. We should do our duty and obligations to maintain
social stability and unity among different ethnic groups,
and promote economic growth and the building of a well-off
society in an all-round way. Only when the nation becomes
powerful and the people turn affluent, can our motherland,
which has always stood for peace and development and opposed
war, have a stronger say in the international arena and make
bigger contributions to safeguarding world peace.
We believe Allah is just. Let's pray
Allah for delivering Iraqi Muslim brothers and sisters from
the disasters of war as early as possible and blessing the
world with peace and tranquility.
Amin!
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