His remarks were made in response to reports that three South Korean-Americans suspected of smuggling people across the border were detained in Northeast China's Jilin Province.

The trio who are believed to be Choi John-daniel, Chun Ki-won and Choi Bong-il are suspected of smuggling people from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) into China.

Chun reportedly had been arrested in December as he helped smuggle DPRK people into Mongolia. Chinese authorities are investigating, Liu said.

Liu said the intrusions into foreign embassies by DPRK residents poses a serious threat to the safety of embassies in China and destroys the social order.

Turning to the International Criminal Court (ICC), Liu said China has participated in a preparatory committee regarding the Rome Statute of the ICC, which took effect on Monday. China, though not a member of the statute, adopted a "constructive" attitude on the committee, Liu said.

"China has consistently supported the establishment of an independent, just, effective and universal international criminal court that punishes the most serious international crimes," Liu said.

The ICC will be a permanent court for trying individuals accused of committing genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity. It is expected to be fully functional by mid-2003.

Regarding the shooting death last weekend of Chinese diplomat Wang Jianping and his driver last weekend in Kyrgyzstan, a working group led by Foreign Ministry officials yesterday arrived in the capital of Bishkek, Liu said.

Wang's wife and daughter also went with the working group.

Wang, a graduate from Peking University, was sent to Kyrgyzstan two years ago after a stint in Kazakhstan.

Kyrgyz police have arrested three suspects in the nation's capital city of Bishkek, interior ministry spokesman Kubanych Keldibayev said yesterday.

The three, two Chinese nationals and an ethnic Uygur Kyrgyz citizen, were being questioned on the suspicion of being linked to the crime, he said.

(People's Daily July 03, 2002)