Iraq denied on Wednesday that it had imported workers from China. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhu Bangzao also has said he had no information to confirm the allegations. The U.S. allegation that China has been assisting Iraq adds yet another irritant to Sino-American relations. Next month, the United States is expected to seek an anti-China resolution in the U.N. Human Rights Commission in Geneva. In April, the administration is expected to make a final decision on whether to sell destroyers to Taiwan armed with ultramodern Aegis weapons systems.
China is deeply worried about implications of the sale and is lobbying hard against it.
China's grievances against the United States also include the air strikes on Iraq. China's foreign ministry called for an immediate end to military action so as to create a favorable atmosphere for an upcoming United Nations review of Security Council sanctions against Iraq, set for next week. It is not a private communication.