"We have made it clear that it is not necessary to come up with a new resolution because the (United Nations Security Council) resolution 1441 has not been fully implemented,'' said Kong at a regular briefing.

"China holds that efforts now should go to the implementation of resolution 1441.''

Stressing the Iraqi side should carry out the resolution comprehensively, strictly and earnestly, Kong added the weapons inspections should go on "to make things clear.''

Kong also reaffirmed China's stance that the Iraqi issue should be resolved through political means under the UN framework.

The United States, Britain and Spain on Monday handed in a draft resolution to the UN Security Council, claiming Iraq has failed to take the last chance to comply with Security Council resolution 1441 and seeking authorization to disarm Iraq.

Germany, France and Russia have also submitted a memorandum, proposing to strengthen inspections of Iraq's arsenal. China has voiced its support to the trio's memorandum.

According to a Xinhua report, China's ambassador to the UN Wang Yingfan told reporters on Monday that China fully agrees with the contents of that memorandum.

Wang also noted that despite all the differences inside the council, however, he still found some common ground such as the implementation of resolution 1441.

With the big powers split on military action against Iraq, the United States and Britain scrambled for UN votes Tuesday as France, Russia and Germany sought to stymie a push towards war.

The division became acute after Washington, London and Madrid sought UN Security Council authorization for warfare by introducing a new draft resolution on Monday declaring that Iraq had squandered its "final opportunity'' to disarm.

The draft, presented by Britain's UN Ambassador Sir Jeremy Greenstock, recalled November 8 resolution 1441 that warned Iraq of "serious consequences'' if it failed to disclose and rid itself of weapons of mass destruction.

But the new resolution's operative paragraph was simple, saying the Security Council "decides that Iraq has failed to take the final opportunity afforded it in resolution 1441.''

The action opened an intensive period of diplomacy. France and Germany came out strongly against the draft and a shift to a "logic of war,'' circulating a rival proposal that would extend UN inspections for at least four months. Russia backed the French proposal as did China.

British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said the resolution would provide Iraq with a window of about "two weeks or so'' to disarm or face military action.

No vote is expected until after chief weapons inspector Hans Blix reports to the council again, probably on March 7, in a meeting expected to be attended by foreign ministers.

The French proposal, contained in a memorandum that was endorsed by Germany and Russia, calls for the reinforcement of UN inspections. It asks Blix to outline a new work program by March 1 that Iraq would be required to fulfill.

President Jacques Chirac said France saw no need to abandon "the logic of peace and switch to the logic of war.

On the Reported DPRK Missile Test

Kong Quan also refuted allegations that the missile reportedly fired in a test on Monday by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) came from China.

"The accusation is absolutely groundless and irresponsible,'' Kong said

He said that China has taken "very strict'' export-control measures on weapons of mass destruction (WMD), stressing that "China is a responsible country in this regard.''

The Republic of Korea's Yonhap news agency reported that the ROK claimed the DPRK launched a missile into the sea between the Korean Peninsula and Japan on Monday, but the DPRK has denied this. Some Japanese and ROK experts have speculated that the missile came from China.

China issued a regulation on the export-control of dual-use biological agents and related equipment and technologies and subjected lists last October.

The feud over the missile test occurred at a time when US Secretary of State Colin Powell was visiting East Asia over the nuclear issue and attending the inauguration ceremony of ROK President Roh Moo-hyun.

"Peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula is of critical significance,'' said Kong, commenting on the current tension on the peninsula. "The peninsula should be free from nuclear weapons and efforts should be made to guarantee its non-nuclearization.''

He called for restraint and calm from the relevant parties in order to maintain peace and stability on the peninsula.

Stressing the importance of direct talks between the US and the DPRK, Kong said that US proposal to resolve the issue multilaterally can only be done with consensus from all sides.

The DPRK said Tuesday a US missile-spotting spy plane intruded into its airspace for four consecutive days.

The North's official KCNA news agency said the RC-135 aircraft was supported by a KC-135 refueling tanker plane on its missions up and down the east coast of the Korean Peninsula inside DPRK airspace on each of the four days to Monday.

KCNA did not mention whether the North fired a short-range missile out to sea off the east coast on Monday.

(China Daily February 26, 2003)