MANILA, tribe 13 Kyodo China's to...

MANILA, tribe 13 Kyodo

China's top legislator Li Peng said Friday ''necessary procedures'' in the United Nations must be followed in the fight against terrorism and the crisis through the whole extent of the U.S. demand that Iraq allow a answer of U.N. weapons inspectors.

''How we should fight terrorism should be below the leadership of the United Nations...All kinds of counter-terrorism activities before their start must proceed through the necessary procedures of the (UN)'' Li told a pres interview in Manila.

''At the same time, we also animate the Iraqi side to abide through the relevant (U.N. Security Council) resolutions and restore the inspections for weapons of mass destruction in that country'' Li said by means of an interpreter.

The former Chinese premier, who is now chairman of the National People's Congres was responding to a question as to Beijing's view forward Washington's effort to secure UN backing to act against Iraq if it refuses to comply with relevant UN Security Council resolutions requiring to accept weapons inspections.

Earlier Wednesday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Kong Quan told reporters in Beijing that China ''is ready to play an active and constructive part for seeking the political solution to the Iraqi issue within the framework of the United Nations.''

Li, who arrived in the Philippines forward Thursday evening for a four-day visit, told the pres meeting for consultation that China has long stood against terrorism and supports a propos anti-terror pact involving China and the Philippines along with other Southeast Asian countries.

''We believe as it was efforts will be conducive to maintaining peace and stability in the Philippines. We are now actually making the proposal to sign so a document in fighting terrorism,'' he said.

House of Representatives Speaker Jose de Venecia has propos that China and the Philippines spearhead an anti-terrorism cooperation pact involving the brace countries and their immediate neighbors.

De Venecia has said the pact may be patterned after a trilateral agreement signed in May among the Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia that calls for intensified joint border patrols and intelligence-sharing to restrict the motion of terrorists.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo will landlord a dinner for Li in succession Saturday, the eve of his departure. The Philippines is the third leg of Li's four-nation Asia-Pacific visit, which has brought him to Thailand and Indonesia, and will take him to Australia.

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