BEIJING, March 18: China said on Thursday the situation in Iraq a year after the United States launched its invasion had proved Washington was wrong to try to use force to solve its disputes.

"Last year, we made very clear China's position on this issue. We stressed that international disputes should be resolved peacefully through dialogue and the UN Security Council," said foreign ministry spokesman Kong Quan.

"One year has passed, and we see that China's position was correct." In the lead-up to the invasion, Beijing took a firm stance alongside France, Russia and Germany, arguing that weapons inspectors be given more time to do their job.

Mr Kong said that the evidence in the past year spoke for itself. "The situation in Iraq has not improved," he said during a regular briefing. "There have been constant attacks and bombings. Early this morning, there was a big explosion in Iraq causing large casualties," he said. "We hope that Iraqi people will rule Iraq at an early date," he added.

While China's relations with the United States are considered at their best in years, there are several sticky issues, not least the Taiwan issue and Washington's perceived unilateralism. -AFP