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China urges diplomatic efforts to resolve Iran standoff
By Qin Jize and Cheng Guangjin (China Daily)
Updated: 2010-03-05 07:49
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Beijing: China on Thursday reiterated that it is keen to persist with diplomatic efforts, rather than sanctions, to persuade Iran to give up its nuclear ambitions, even as key Western powers were reported to have sent a revised proposal to the nation for fresh sanctions against the West Asian country.
China will continue to push for negotiations and dialogue to help maintain peace and stability in the Middle East, which conforms to the interests of all parties concerned, Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said in Beijing.
China urges diplomatic efforts to resolve Iran standoff
"We have been making diplomatic efforts with the international community in a responsible manner," Qin said.
Earlier, news agency AP cited a well-informed UN official as saying on Wednesday that key Western powers had sent a revised proposal to China and Russia seeking their cooperation for fresh sanctions against Iran.
The new sanctions are aimed at targeting Iran's powerful Revolutionary Guard and toughen existing measures against its shipping, banking and insurance sectors, the report said.
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on Monday expressed willingness to consider fresh sanctions after initially showing skepticism about the proposal.
China however has not responded, the report quoted the diplomat as saying, even as discussions (on the proposed sanctions) were taking place across key capitals.
Of the five members of the UN Security Council with veto power, China is the most reluctant to impose sanctions to force Teheran to abandon its nuclear plans, although it had signed on to three earlier rounds of sanctions.
Qin said China would work toward the resumption of talks on the issue and "make constructive efforts for a proper resolution of the Iranian nuclear issue through dialogue and negotiations." China's resistance to the proposed sanctions was understandable given the fact that it would threaten the flow of its investments in Iran, analysts said, pointing out that the nation was walking a tightrope between safeguarding its interests and preserving the authority of the UN.
Yin Gang, a senior Middle East expert at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences said the current proposal involves strengthened sanctions on Iran's major banks, which will definitely affect normal trade settlements. It will result in considerable losses for China and Germany, which are Iran's major trade partners, he said.
As such, China's current situation was very tricky, since the West was making the proposal under the UN umbrella, he said.
Iran had been ignoring past UN resolutions and it was the world body's top priority to maintain the effectiveness of the Security Council and the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty, he said.
"China is under great pressure. It needs to protect its own economic interests, and also take care to see that the power of the UN Security Council and the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty, which was signed by over 180 nations, is not undermined," he said.
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton failed to win Brazil's support on Wednesday for more sanctions against Iran. Even before he met with Clinton, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva had said: "It is not wise to push Iran into a corner. It is wise to establish negotiations."
Clinton's visit to Brasilia has come at a time when US diplomats are seeking to persuade key UN Security Council members that the time has come for action on Iran, which has defied UN demands requiring it to stop enriching uranium.
By Qin Jize and Cheng Guangjin (China Daily)
Updated: 2010-03-05 07:49
Comments(8) PrintMail
Large Medium Small
Beijing: China on Thursday reiterated that it is keen to persist with diplomatic efforts, rather than sanctions, to persuade Iran to give up its nuclear ambitions, even as key Western powers were reported to have sent a revised proposal to the nation for fresh sanctions against the West Asian country.
China will continue to push for negotiations and dialogue to help maintain peace and stability in the Middle East, which conforms to the interests of all parties concerned, Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said in Beijing.
China urges diplomatic efforts to resolve Iran standoff
"We have been making diplomatic efforts with the international community in a responsible manner," Qin said.
Earlier, news agency AP cited a well-informed UN official as saying on Wednesday that key Western powers had sent a revised proposal to China and Russia seeking their cooperation for fresh sanctions against Iran.
The new sanctions are aimed at targeting Iran's powerful Revolutionary Guard and toughen existing measures against its shipping, banking and insurance sectors, the report said.
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on Monday expressed willingness to consider fresh sanctions after initially showing skepticism about the proposal.
China however has not responded, the report quoted the diplomat as saying, even as discussions (on the proposed sanctions) were taking place across key capitals.
Of the five members of the UN Security Council with veto power, China is the most reluctant to impose sanctions to force Teheran to abandon its nuclear plans, although it had signed on to three earlier rounds of sanctions.
Qin said China would work toward the resumption of talks on the issue and "make constructive efforts for a proper resolution of the Iranian nuclear issue through dialogue and negotiations." China's resistance to the proposed sanctions was understandable given the fact that it would threaten the flow of its investments in Iran, analysts said, pointing out that the nation was walking a tightrope between safeguarding its interests and preserving the authority of the UN.
Yin Gang, a senior Middle East expert at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences said the current proposal involves strengthened sanctions on Iran's major banks, which will definitely affect normal trade settlements. It will result in considerable losses for China and Germany, which are Iran's major trade partners, he said.
As such, China's current situation was very tricky, since the West was making the proposal under the UN umbrella, he said.
Iran had been ignoring past UN resolutions and it was the world body's top priority to maintain the effectiveness of the Security Council and the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty, he said.
"China is under great pressure. It needs to protect its own economic interests, and also take care to see that the power of the UN Security Council and the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty, which was signed by over 180 nations, is not undermined," he said.
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton failed to win Brazil's support on Wednesday for more sanctions against Iran. Even before he met with Clinton, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva had said: "It is not wise to push Iran into a corner. It is wise to establish negotiations."
Clinton's visit to Brasilia has come at a time when US diplomats are seeking to persuade key UN Security Council members that the time has come for action on Iran, which has defied UN demands requiring it to stop enriching uranium.
