Amid international efforts to solve the Iranian nuclear
stand-off a senior Chinese diplomat flew to Tehran yesterday.
Assistant Foreign Minister Cui Tiankai will discuss Teheran's
nuclear issue with Iranian officials and exchange views with them
on other international and regional issues of common concern,
according to Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao.
He made the remarks in a news release on the ministry's website
early yesterday without giving further details.
The US has accused Iran of secretly developing nuclear weapons
behind a civilian front. This charge has been categorically denied
by Teheran saying its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes.
China has maintained its wish to solve the Iranian nuclear issue
through political consultations and made a series of diplomatic
efforts along with the international community to persuade Iran to
give up its nuclear program.
Cui's visit comes just one week before Teheran gives a promised
response to the package of proposals drawn up by the five permanent
UN Security Council members -- the US, Britain, China, France and
Russia -- along with Germany.
The UN Security Council adopted a resolution on July 31 urging
Teheran to "suspend all enrichment-related and reprocessing
activities, including research and development" by August 31 or
face the prospect of sanctions.
Due to the insistence of council members such as Russia and
China the resolution dropped the threat of immediate sanctions and
required the council to hold further discussions before
such moves were considered.
Observers don't expect a breakthrough from Cui's latest visit to
Iran but believe the trip is a positive step toward a resolution of
the issue.
The Chinese envoy may seriously admonish the Iranians over the
issue to take into account the interests of the Iranian people,
said Professor Gong Shaopeng from the Beijing-based China Foreign
Affairs University.
Iran warned Sunday that it would withdraw from the International
Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) if it's deprived of its
"inalienable rights," the official IRNA news agency reported.
(China Daily August 15, 2006)