The Foreign Ministry said January 23 that China welcomes the scheduled meeting on the conflicts in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to be held by the United Nations Security Council next week, and hopes that the meeting will yield positive results.

According to ministry spokesman Zhu Bangzao, China has all along paid a great deal of attention to the conflicts in the DRC and has kept promoting the Security Council in resolving the issue.

The Security Council held a special meeting on conflicts in the DRC last March when China chaired the council.

Zhu said China has always maintained that all parties concerned should respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the DRC, and seek a peaceful resolution to the DRC issue through dialogue and consultation in the spirit of African unity and national reconciliation.

China supports and appreciates the efforts of the Organization of African Unity, the Southern African Development Community, and related countries in trying to reach a peaceful resolution.

Zhu said China regards the peace agreement signed in Lusaka, Zambia, in 1994 as a positive move made by African countries for resolving conflicts in Africa independently. It also serves as a foundation for the peaceful settlement of the DRC issue.

"It is an urgent matter that relevant parties should earnestly implement the peace agreement, and the international community should also offer their support and help," the spokesman said.

China hopes that the United Nations will take concrete measures and make greater efforts to resolve the DRC issue. "China supports the UN Security Council in carrying out peace-keeping activities in the DRC as soon as possible and sending in peace-keeping troops if necessary," said Zhu.

As a permanent member of the UN Security Council, China will as always continue to play its role in seeking peaceful resolution to the conflicts in the DRC, the spokesman said.