Envoy Tries to Win China’s Support on Iraq

Continuing his efforts to drum up international support for a U.S. strike against Iraq, American Ambassador to the U.N. Bill Richardson presented Washington’s case to Chinese diplomats here Saturday, but apparently without much success.

After an hour of talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Qian Qichen, Richardson praised Beijing’s “constructive” role in the crisis and cooperative attitude toward Washington since last October’s Sino-U.S. summit meeting. “We have, on our policies toward Iraq, more similarities than differences,” Richardson said of China.

However, the differences appeared irreconcilable as China--a permanent United Nations Security Council member--stood firm in its opposition to an attack on Iraq.

While echoing Richardson’s call for Baghdad to allow unfettered inspections by U.N. weapons experts, Qian reiterated China’s position that “if force is used, it will inevitably cause serious consequences and significant casualties of innocent people and will not contribute to a solution of the question over weapons inspection.”

Richardson also shared U.S. intelligence with Beijing about Baghdad’s security network of presidential sites, which Washington believes is being used to conceal weapons.

Chinese Premier Li Peng recently stated that he will discuss the Iraqi crisis this week during a visit to Russia, so far the most vocal opponent of U.S. military action against Iraq.

Beijing’s rapprochement with Moscow in the recent years has been aided by the two nations’ shared distaste for what they consider American “hegemony and power politics” in world affairs.