Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing made the comment while talking by phone with his Iranian counterpart Kamal Kharazi, the state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

The two ministers talked the day after Kharazi and seven other foreign ministers of countries bordering Iraq, plus Egypt and Bahrain, concluded a meeting on Iraq in Saudi Arabia.

"China attaches great importance to and supports the statement of the eight foreign ministers," Li was quoted as saying.

The situation in Iraq must be stabilized as soon as possible, as Iraq's current lack of government is a source of concern, he said.

At the close of their meeting to discuss the aftermath of the US ouster of Saddam Hussein, the Middle Eastern ministers underlined the need to uphold Iraq's territorial integrity and called for a "central" UN role in post-war Iraq.

SPACE.WIRE