China yesterday sided with France, Russia and Germany over giving UN weapons inspectors more time and UN military support for their work in Iraq.
Chinese President Jiang Zemin told French President Jacques Chirac by telephone that China "supports" the recent joint proposal by France, Germany and Russia which would extend UN weapons inspections in Iraq, state media said.
"The inspection in Iraq is effective and should be continued and strengthened so as to implement resolution 1441," the official Xinhua news agency quoted Mr Jiang as saying. "Warfare is good for no one and it is our responsibility to take various measures to avoid war."
Mr Chirac briefed Mr Jiang on the recent joint declaration adopted by the three countries, expressing hope that the international community would make joint efforts to avoid war.
Analysts said Beijing, which has been cautious in the past few weeks, may have been finally pressured into taking a clearer stance following the French-Russia-Germany joint declaration on Monday.
"We're at a showdown now. Many nations, members of the Security Council, have to show their position," said Mr Jean-Pierre Cabestan, director of the Hong Kong-based French Centre for Research on Contemporary China. "China had to clarify its position which has been perceived in the last few weeks as being closer to and more tolerant of US policy, which was strange because China not long ago was more non-tolerant of US policy than France and Germany."
Mr Chirac and Mr Putin said on Monday that their countries and Germany believed it was too early to declare the UN inspections a failure and agreed that force must only be used as a last resort.
Beijing also likely considered the positions of other Security Council members.
President Jiang's statement was far stronger than an earlier statement yesterday by Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Ms Zhang Qiyue, who cautiously welcomed the initiative. "China's position remains the same ... China welcomes and supports all endeavours that may help the political settlement of the Iraqi issue," she had said.