The Foreign Affairs Committee of China's National People's Congress (NPC) expressed grave worries Friday over the military actions against Iraq by the United States and a number of other countries, strongly calling for a halt to the operations.

In a statement, the Foreign Affairs Committee of the NPC, China's top legislature, said that on March 20 the United States and some other countries launched military actions against Iraq.

"We hereby express our grave worries," the statement said.

China, as a permanent member of the Security Council of the United Nations, has always devoted itself to safeguarding the unity, authority and role of the Security Council, it said.

China has always stood for a political solution to the Iraq issue within the UN framework, and urged the Iraqi government to strictly, fully and earnestly implement relevant Security Council resolutions and to destroy completely any weapons of mass destruction, the statement said.

Meanwhile, China maintains that Iraq's sovereignty and territorial integrity should be respected, it said.

The statement said Resolution 1441, adopted unanimously by the Security Council, is an important basis for a political settlement of the Iraq issue. China has never given up a glimmer of hope for peace, and has always been making unremitting efforts to this end, along with relevant parties, it said.

The people of China and the rest of the world long for peace, the statement said.

"We have always been committed to safeguarding world peace and stability, have always stood for settling international disputes by political means and have always opposed resorting to force in international disputes."

The military actions against Iraq by the United States and other countries would cause humanitarian disasters, casualties and the loss of property of the Iraqi people, while endangering peace and stability in the region, the statement said.

"We are deeply worried about the development of the situation," the statement said. "We strongly appeal to the relevant countries to comply with the will of the international community, stop military actions and promptly return to the track of seeking a political solution."

(Xinhua News Agency March 21, 2003)