- Title: Russia: Chinese Prime Minister Li Peng Official Visit
- Date: 17th February 1998
- Summary: Chinese Prime Minister Li Peng arrived in Moscow on February 17 for a two-day visit which officials expect to focus on Iraq as well as bilateral issues. Chinese officials said worries about possible US military strikes against Iraq would overshadow the bilateral trade and energy talks. China is keen to avoid military conflict. China, Russia and France, which are permanent members of the UN Security Council, are urging a peaceful solution to the stand-off between Iraq and the United Nations over weapons inspections. Moscow and Paris have sent envoys to Baghdad to help negotiate a compromise. The United States and Britain, the two other permanent council members, take a tougher line, saying force should remain an option if Baghdad refuses to back down. Russia and China, both keen to boost their international profile and suspicious of US efforts to act alone to resolve international problems, have proclaimed their readiness to develop a "strategic partnership". But they have discounted any return to the strong military and political alliance the communist giants forged in the 1950s.
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- Location: RUSSIA CIS MOSCOW MOSKVA
- Reuters ID: LDL00128FQGAZ
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