China has paid close attention to the situation in Haiti, and will contribute to realizing permanent peace, stability and development there with the international community, said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao at a regular news briefing in Beijing Tuesday.

Liu said China appreciated the positive efforts of the United Nations, the Organization of American States, the Caribbean Community and other organizations in solving the crisis.

China welcomed the voluntary disarmament of some parties in Haiti and their cooperation with the international community, Liu said.

At the request of Haitian acting President Boniface Alexandre, the UN Security Council approved Sunday the deployment of a multinational force in Haiti to restore law and order in the Caribbean country.

"China also voted for that resolution," the spokesman said.

Former Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide went into exile in the Central African Republic after rebels entered the capital city of Port-au-Prince.

In another development, the spokesman said China hopes staff and diplomats at the United Nations can go about their daily business without the fear of spying.

Former British Cabinet Minister Clare Short alleged to the BBC last Thursday that in the run-up to the US-led war on Iraq, Britain spied on UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan's office and she had read transcripts of Annan's conversations while she was still in the cabinet.

If the claim proved to be true, China would regard it as deeply regrettable, said Liu, adding the Chinese government also hoped member countries would not be disturbed by this incident.

Annan said last Thursday that he would be "disappointed" if the claim was true and demanded the practice be stopped immediately.

Moving on to the situation in Iraq, the spokesman said China hopes for "effective and peaceful" reconstruction of Iraq at an early date.

Liu said Iraq's situation had changed tremendously since the outbreak of the Iraq war. Political and economic reconstruction had improved, but the security situation was still a source for concern.

He said China hoped Iraq would regain stability at an early date, and the Iraqi people could live peaceful and stable lives as soon as possible.

Also at yesterday's briefing, the spokesman said China will send a special envoy to attend the funeral of Macedonian President Boris Trajkovski who died in an air crash last Thursday.

"The Chinese government feels very sad over the president's death and President Hu Jintao has expressed condolences in a telegraph to the Macedonian government," Liu said.

Minister of Railways Liu Zhijun will attend the funeral as a special envoy of Chinese government, Liu said.

The spokesman also said the Hong Kong issue is China's internal affairs, and China opposes the interference of a foreign government.

China has been firm and resolute in implementing the "one country, two systems" policy, Liu said.

(Xinhua News Agency March 3, 2004)