Foreign Ministry spokesman Kong Quan Thursday expressed China's "deep worries" over the worsening security in Iraq and called for a calm approach in handling the issue.

Speaking at a regular news briefing, Kong again reiterated that the Iraq issue should be resolved within the framework of the United Nations.

Kong said that the conflict in Iraq has been escalated recently, and the scale of the violence has expanded. He said that China will not remain indifferent towards what is happening in Iraq and is deeply concerned over the security situation there.

He hoped the related parties will remain serene, resolve issues peacefully and stop the violence soon.

A new round of violence between the Iraqis and the US-led coalition forces has intensified recently, one year after the military campaign to oust former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein. UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan has again proposed that a special group be sent to Iraq.

"We hope that the group will promote the parties in Iraq to put forward a feasible transitional political plan to achieve 'Iraqi people governing Iraq' and lasting stability soon," said Kong. "We also hope that the related parties will provide favorable conditions for it."

Turning to the Sino-Japanese relations, Kong again urged the Japanese government to show sincerity to solve existing problems and create necessary conditions for the exchange of high-level visits.

Kong said that due to reasons known to all, Sino-Japanese political relations have faced difficulties. To have a correct understanding of that period of history (of World War II) and have a correct attitude towards it constitutes the political foundation of Sino-Japanese relations, and it is also an important condition for Japan to win the trust of Asia and the rest of the international community, he said.

Kong added that China's stance on the issue of Yasukuni Shrine is clear, namely, it hopes that Japanese leaders will keep their promise to reflect on its history of aggression and refrain from hurting the national feelings of countries that had suffered from Japanese aggression.

The spokesman said that Asia is facing an unprecedented opportunity for development, and the international environment requires all nations to build up a new security concept with mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality and cooperation as the core.

"We should draw lessons from history and be committed to peaceful development," Kong said.

Also at yesterday's briefing, Kong announced that Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing will pay official visits to Sweden, Ireland, Finland and Russia in the middle and latter half of April.

Kong said that Li's visits are at the invitation of Swedish Foreign Minister Laila Freivalds, Irish Foreign Minister Brian Cowen, Finnish Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

Li will also attend the Sixth ASEM (Asia-Europe Meeting) Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Dublin from April 17 to 18 and the regular Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Moscow on April 23, according to Kong.

Li's upcoming visit to Russia, which is in the latter half of April, will promote bilateral cooperation, the spokesman continued.

Kong said since China and Russia established strategic partnership of cooperation, especially after the two heads of state signed the good-neighborly treaty of friendship and cooperation in 2001, bilateral relations have developed smoothly and the cooperation and coordination in regional and international affairs have also been strengthened.

Li will meet his new Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov and he will also have opportunities to meet his old friends. The two sides will exchange views on issues of common concern.

Kong said Li will also exchange views with foreign ministers of Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan on the development of SCO.

China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan are the six member countries of SCO, a regional organization founded in 2002.

The spokesman also said that China hopes the China-Russia oil pipeline project to be carried out as early as possible.

Kong said the project is one of the realistic and major projects of cooperation between the two countries, and the leaders of the two countries have also acknowledged this through joint statements and formal documents.

Bilateral cooperation in energy is very important for the two countries, Kong said.

He said this project is one of the major projects of cooperation between the two countries in energy and economic fields. "Smooth implementation of this project will not only bring huge profits to both countries but also promote bilateral strategic partnership of cooperation."

The planned oil pipeline from the Siberian city of Angarsk to Daqing in northeast China, has been discussed for nearly a decade, but has recently been postponed. Japan hopes that Moscow will build a pipeline from Angarsk to the port of Nakhodka, facing Japan.

The Russian side has not made a decision yet.

Moving on to the Sino-EU relations, Kong said the upcoming visit by Romano Prodi, president of the Commission of the European Union (EU), will promote mutual understanding and cooperation between the two sides.

Kong said that both China and the EU attach importance to this visit. Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao is expected to hold talks with Rrodi during his China visit.

Kong said that under the new circumstances, China and the EU share similar views and common interests on many international and regional issues, thus the two sides wish to promote exchanges. The two sides have also maintained close cooperation in trade, economic, cultural and scientific and technological fields, he added.

Prodi will pay an official visit to China from April 13 to 16 at the invitation of the Chinese government. He has visited China three times since he became EU Commission president in 1999.

In another development, Kong said that China strongly opposes the interference of Britain's foreign office minister in the affairs of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR).

Kong said China was unhappy with British Foreign Office Minister Bill Rammell's comments on the interpretation of the HKSAR Basic Law by the Chinese National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee.

By providing interpretation of the Basic Law, the NPC Standing Committee is exercising the right as prescribed by the Constitution and the Basic Law, with an aim to comprehensively and accurately implement the Basic Law, he said.

"We are strongly discontented with and firmly oppose the irresponsible comments by the British foreign affairs official that interfere in the affairs of the HKSAR," said Kong.

(Sources including Xinhua News Agency and China Daily, April 9, 2004)