"The two sides advocate to resolve the Iraqi crisis through political and diplomatic means," the communique said.

The UN 1441 resolution and other resolutions on Iraq provide the necessary legal basis for tackling the issue, it said.

Both said the UN Security Council should enhance guidance over weapon inspections and support the inspection work.

China and Russia have also agreed that war against Iraq "can and should be avoided."

"Both sides reiterate their determination to render their full efforts for promoting a political solution to the Iraqi issue," the communique said.

The international community has widely called for taking all measures to avoid war, it said.

"Such aspiration should be respected," it added.

The two sides also issued a joint communiqué on DPRK, saying that China and Russia will endeavor to push for a dialogue between the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and the United States.

The communique says an equal and constructive dialogue between the United States and the DPRK on the DPRK nuclear issue will be of great significance to the normalization of relations between the DPRK and the United States.

Both China and Russia are ready to actively push for a political solution of the DPRK nuclear issue in the bilateral and multilateral arenas so as to maintain peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region, the communique says.

Chinese Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan and visiting Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov expressed deep concern over the situation in the Korean peninsula in the communique.

They said that in a sincere desire to promote and strengthen peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region, China and Russia jointly called for all relevant parties to make all necessary efforts to seek a peaceful and just resolution of the issue.

The two sides emphasize that they are in accord with the common aspiration of the international community to maintain the nuclear-free status of the Korean peninsula, safeguard the system of non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction on the peninsula and maintain peace, security and stability in the region.

They said the north and south of Korea should continue their positive dialogue and continue to cooperate with each other, adding that the process was a substantial contribution to guaranteeing the healthy development of the situation on the peninsula and northeast Asia.

The two sides said they had noticed the DPRK's statement that it had no intention to develop nuclear weapons and the statement of both the United States and DPRK to resolve relevant problems peacefully.

They said China and Russia were willing to continue to develop friendly and good-neighborly relations with both the DPRK and the Republic of Korea.

Ivanov arrived in Beijing Wednesday for an official visit as Tang's guest.

(China.org.cn edited from Xinhua News Agency, February 27, 2003)