US guarantees protection of Chinese embassy in Iraq, China says

BEIJING (AFP) Apr 15, 2003
China said Tuesday that the United States had guaranteed the safety of its embassy in Baghdad and would investigate looting that has taken place at the mission.

"The United States has promised it would take measures to protect the safety and property of the Chinese embassy in Iraq and investigate and deal with the robbery," foreign ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao told journalists.

China made "urgent representations" to Washington over the looting of its embassy over the weekend.

"In accordance with international law we believe that the warring parties have the obligation to protect the interests of foreign embassies in Iraq," Liu said.

The spokesman did not give details of the damage to its embassy, but since US troops drove out forces loyal to Iraqi President Saddam Hussein last week the Iraqi capital has descended into lawlessness and mass looting.

SPACE.WIRE