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China and Iraq

China took a cautious position on the crises involving Iraq's conquest of Kuwait, the anti-Iraq coalition, the 1991 Gulf war, and the subsequent sanctions against Baghdad. It supported both Baghdad's compliance with UN-mandated arms controls and a quick end to sanctions. This policy was such as could please Saddam Hussein without antagonizing too much the United States.

After Iraq's invasion of Kuwait in 1990, China urged a diplomatic solution, a position favored by Baghdad. Beijing abstained (that is, neither supported nor vetoed) on the UN resolution authorizing the coalition to expel Iraq from Kuwait by force. But to win Chinese support, the United States and Europe dropped all remaining sanctions against China. (21)

By 1994, China was already urging an end to sanctions against Iraq, which cost Beijing a lucrative market for selling arms and other services while acquiring oil. Ideally, Iraq would comply with the UN demands that it eliminate its weapons of mass destruction and thus make possible a return to normal relations. When this did not happen, China was cautious and limited in opposing the U.S. policy of maintaining pressure on Iraq.

Consistent with this strategy, during the 1997-1998 crisis with Iraq, Chinese Foreign Minister Qian Qichen called on the world community to be fair and lift sanctions soon, while urging Iraq to cooperate with the UN to make an end to sanctions possible. There was, however, a pro-Iraq tilt, with Qichen suggesting Iraq did not have any weapons of mass destruction: "I can say that what was discovered has been destroyed. And there are doubts about the existence of those which have not been discovered yet." China opposed any attack against Iraq, with Prime Minister Li Peng suggesting that UN inspectors settle for only limited access to suspected weapons' hiding places.