Chinese President Jiang Zemin got a phone call from German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder Monday evening, and they discussed the Iraq issue.
Schroeder said the two UN agencies in charge of weapons inspections submitted new reports on the inspections several days ago, which indicated progress has been made and Iraq has shown its willingness to cooperate.
The German leader said Germany believes the inspections should be continued.
Jiang said he has been paying close attention to the development of the Iraq situation in the last few days, noting that at the UN Security Council meeting on March 7, most member countries and the two UN agencies agreed that the weapons inspections have made progress, Resolution 1441 has been effective, and the work should not be given up halfway.
Jiang stressed that most nations in the world call for a peaceful solution to the Iraq issue, and China will keep in contact with Germany during this crucial time.