China has reacted positively to Iraq’s latest offer to permit the return of United Nations weapons inspections without preconditions. Together with France and Russia, China is among the UN member states inclined toward a political settlement of the issue rather than a military solution, as has been pushed by the George W. Bush administration. Chinese officials emphasize that the Iraqi issue must be resolved within the political framework of the UN system, that Baghdad should comply with all UN resolutions on weapons inspections, and that Iraq’s sovereignty must be respected.