Government and Policy

China: Kosovo issue should be resolved through dialogue

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-07-23 16:42

BEIJING - China said Friday all involved parties should find a solution to Kosovo issue through dialogue.

China had taken note of the United Nations court ruling, said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang Friday when commenting on a non-binding advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) released Thursday saying Kosovo's independence declaration in 2008 "did not violate general international law."

Qin said China has consistently held that state sovereignty and territorial integrity is a fundamental principle of contemporary international law and the basis of today's international legal order.

China respected Serbia's sovereignty and territorial integrity, Qin said, adding that China has always insisted that the involved parties seek a solution to the Kosovo issue acceptable to all through dialogue and within the framework of related UN Security Council resolutions.

China believed the ICJ's ruling would not be an obstacle to properly resolving the issue, he said.

Kosovo, an autonomous province of Serbia, unilaterally declared independence from Serbia two years ago.

In October 2008, Serbia demanded that the UN General Assembly ask the ICJ to issue an opinion on the legality of Kosovo's breakaway.