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7 March 2003
Mr. President,
Let me begin by thanking Mr. Blix and Mr. El Baradei for their briefings and
for the tremendous efforts they have made to fulfill the mandate given by the
Security Council.
Mr. President,
Four months ago right here, the Council unanimously adopted Resolution 1441
in the spirit of unity and cooperation. The adoption of the resolution fully
manifested the determination of the Council to destroy the WMD possessed by Iraq
and truly reflected the desire of the international community for a political
settlement of the Iraqi issue. It is precisely due to this reason that the
resolution has been widely welcomed and supported by all countries the world
over.
Undoubtedly, it is a tough task for us to ensure the implementation of the
relevant Council resolutions and the full and comprehensive destruction of
Iraq’s WMD. However, it is gratifying to note that much progress has been made
in the weapon inspections, thanks to the unremitting efforts of UNMOVIC and
IAEA. Judging from the reports of the two inspection bodies, Resolution 1441 has
been implemented smoothly on the whole, with progress made and results achieved.
As a matter of fact, there also exist problems and difficulties in the
inspection process. This is exactly why it is highly necessary to continue the
inspections. We believe that as long as we stick to the road of political
settlement, the goal of destroying Iraq’s WMD could still be obtained.
Resolution 1441 did not come by easily. Given the current situation, we need
resolve and determination, and more importantly, patience and wisdom. For that
purpose, the Council needs to maintain its unity and cooperation more than any
time ever so as to preserve its authority. We believe that the Council should
provide strong support and guidance to the two inspection bodies in their work,
let them continue inspections and find out the truth until they complete the
mandate of Resolution 1441. At the same time, we also urge the Iraqi Government
to further effective measures to strengthen its cooperation on substance with
inspectors in real earnest and create conditions necessary for the political
settlement. Under the current circumstances, there is no reason to shut the door
to peace. Therefore, we are not in favor of a new resolution, particularly one
authorizing the use of force.
Mr. President,
The Iraqi issue bears on peace and development in the Gulf Region and the
world at large. With a view to finding a solution to that issue, we must take
into full account the shared interests of all nations and the long- term
interests of human and development. After entering the 21st century, peace and
development still remain the major themes of our times. All countries in the
world, faced with the common task of maintaining peace and achieving development
and prosperity, desperately need a stable and peaceful international
environment.
Among all things in universe, humanbeings are of paramount importance and peace
is most precious. Over the past months right in this hall, we have heard for
many times from many UN member states their strong appeal for resolving the
Iraqi issue politically. Outside of this hall, we have also heard justified
cries of “Peace, Not War” from peoples of many countries. The power of the
Security Council derives from all the UN member states and from people of all
nations. We have no reason to remain indifferent to those strong demands and
outcries. In order to be responsible for history and safeguard the common
interests of all peoples in the world, the Chinese Government strongly appeals
to the Security Council to take up its responsibility and to do all it can to
avoid war.
Thank you, Mr. President.
This
material is produced independently for NTI by the James Martin
Center for Nonproliferation Studies at the Monterey Institute of
International Studies and does not necessarily reflect the
opinions of and has not been independently verified by NTI or
its directors, officers, employees, agents. Copyright © 2007 by
MIIS.
