Tuesday, June 8, 1999

China Calls for Halt in NATO Bombing

By The Associated Press

BEIJING (AP) -- China insisted today that NATO immediately stop bombing Yugoslavia, despite six hours of talks by a European envoy aimed at helping move a proposed Kosovo peace plan through the United Nations.

After meeting with the envoy, Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari, President Jiang Zemin told Russian President Boris Yeltsin by telephone that NATO must halt its airstrikes, China's state-run television reported.

``Our position is correct. We will uphold it until the end,'' China Central Television quoted Jiang as telling Yeltsin.

It was unclear whether China's position would hamper efforts by the seven major industrial democracies and Russia to put a draft peace plan before the U.N. Security Council. Like Russia, China is a permanent council member and thus has veto power over resolutions. Both have been staunch supporters of Yugoslavia and opponents of NATO's bombing campaign.

When asked by reporters shortly before leaving Beijing whether Chinese demands for a bombing halt would hold up U.N. deliberations, Ahtisaari said, ``I don't think this will become an obstacle.''

Ahtisaari, a chief architect of a proposed deal Yugoslavia agreed to last week, said he came to Beijing to brief Chinese leaders on the negotiations and the steps ahead. He said Chinese leaders were committed to a peaceful resolution but he refused to describe President Jiang's and Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan's responses to his briefing.

Timing for a Yugoslav withdrawal, a stop to NATO airstrikes and a U.N. Security Council resolution have been contentious issues in negotiations taking place in Europe and at the United Nations.

Even with Ahtisaari in Beijing, China reiterated that it wanted the bombing stopped before the Security Council takes up a proposal on Kosovo.

``As a matter of priority, NATO should stop its military actions against Yugoslavia, particularly during the discussions by the Security Council of the relevant resolutions,'' Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Zhang Qiyue told reporters. Only with a bombing halt ``can we create a favorable or necessary conditions and atmosphere for the settlement of the question of Kosovo.''

Asked if China would oppose a deal worked out in Europe by the seven democracies and Russia, Zhang said Chinese leaders were awaiting the final version of the plan.

Ahtisaari said he hoped the Security Council could work on a Kosovo peace plan this week. He saw negotiations taking place on two tracks: technical talks between Yugoslavia and NATO military leaders on the withdrawal of Yugoslav forces from Kosovo and adoption of a peace plan by the council.

Council authorization of a plan -- which includes an international security force for Kosovo -- would have to come first so ``no security vacuum will be created,'' Ahtisaari said.