China, as a permanent member of the Security Council of the United Nations, hopes that all sides in Iraq could remain calm, peacefully handle the problems, end the violence, and restore the stability of the country at an early date.  

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Kong Quan made the remarks in Beijing Thursday at a regular press conference.

Kong said that the conflict in Iraq has been escalated recently, and the scale of the violence has expanded. He said that China will not remain indifferent towards what is happening in Iraq and is deeply concerned over the security situation there.

Kong said that China has advocated that the Iraqi issue should be resolved in the UN framework. UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan has mentioned to send a working group to Iraq, and China welcomes this.

He expressed hope that the working group would put forward a feasible political proposal for the transitional period to help achieve "Iraqi people governing Iraq," and that all parties will create conditions for this.

(Xinhua News Agency April 9, 2004)