Chinese Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan said today there is no need for a new UN Security Council resolution on the Iraqi crisis.
"At this moment, it is absolutely unnecessary to put aside Resolution 1441 and table a new one at the Security Council," Mr Tang told a news conference.
He said the inspections for weapons of mass destruction being conducted under Resolution 1441 had not been completed. He called for a diplomatic solution and said war should be avoided.
Britain, like China a veto-wielding permanent member of the Security Council, is working on a compromise that would give Baghdad more time to account for any weapons of mass destruction.