A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman said in Beijing Saturday that China considers a new UN Security Council resolution on the Iraq issue necessary.

In response to a request for comment on a revised US draft resolution on Iraq, which was submitted to the UN Security Council Wednesday, spokesman Kong Quan said the Chinese side is consulting with relevant sides on the draft.

Kong said that China holds that the UN Security Council should adopt a new resolution on Iraq and give full play to the role of the United Nations so that stability and security could be ensured in Iraq as soon as possible, "the Iraqi people administering Iraq "could be realized and the reconstruction could be proceed smoothly.

China hopes that relevant parties could consider the overall situation in the long term and reach consensus at an early date through further consultation, Kong said.

In the process, Kong said the United Nations Security Council should carefully listen to opinions from UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, Iraq's neighboring countries and other Arab nations.
 
(Xinhua News Agency October 5, 2003)