China is investigating a prostitution solicitation case involving a group of Japanese in Zhuhai City of Guangdong Province, south China, a Foreign Ministry spokesman said Sunday.

When asked to comment on the case, Kong Quan said that those activities violated Chinese law and are "extremely odious."

Kong said Chinese departments concerned are digging into the case and will treat it according to law.

"Foreigners in China must abide by Chinese laws," Kong said, urging the Japanese government to enhance education of its people to that end.

In another development, the spokesman said China expresses its grievances over the death of Iraqi Governing Council (IGC) member Akila al-Hashemi and condemns the murderous act.

Kong made the remarks regarding the death of al-Hashemi who was attacked in Baghdad last Saturday and died on Sept. 25.

Kong noted that Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing had expressed the condolences of the Chinese side over al-Hashemi's death and conveyed sympathy and solicitude to al-Hashemi's family while meeting with Ahmed Chalabi, the rotating head of the IGC, at the 58th session of the UN General Assembly.

Al-Hashemi's death indicated that there was still a lot of arduous work to do to get back to normal the social order in Iraq, said the spokesman, adding the international community should make joint efforts to resume the Iraqi sovereignty and help the Iraqi people lead stable lives.

(Source: Xinhua News Agency, September 29, 2003)