Iran's nuclear issue cannot be solved 'fundamentally' through sanctions
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Xinhua, January 10, 2012
China said on Monday that Iran's nuclear issue cannot be addressed fundamentally through sanctions and pressure.
"Dialogue and negotiation is the only right way out," said Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Weimin at a regular news briefing.
"China opposes placing domestic law above international law and does not favor unilateral sanctions against other countries," said the spokesman in response to a question on new sanctions placed on Iran by the United States.
On Dec. 31, 2011, U.S. President Barack Obama signed a wide-ranging defense funding bill, calling for new sanctions against financial institutions that do business with Iran's state banking institutions.
During Monday's briefing, Liu said that China has maintained "normal, open and transparent" ties with Iran in the fields of economics, trade and energy, "just like many other countries."
He said China's economic exchanges with Iran neither go against United Nations Security Council resolutions nor affect China's stance on non-proliferation, and thus "should not be affected."
Meanwhile, Liu said that the Chinese side has taken note of reports that Iran is ready to put into use new uranium enrichment facilities.
"As a signatory to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, Iran not only has the right to use nuclear energy peacefully, but also should fulfill its due international obligations," Liu said.
At present, all sides concerned should step up their diplomatic efforts for dialogue and negotiation, take new measures to enhance mutual trust and create favorable conditions for addressing Iran's nuclear issue appropriately, he added.
Liu said that it is known that Iran has sent an invitation to one of the deputy director generals of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
"We hope that the IAEA will resume contact with Iran at an early date and that the G5+1 (five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council plus Germany) will also increase their contact and dialogue with the country," he added.
Iran's Foreign Minister Ali-Akbar Salehi said last week that the Islamic republic of Iran is ready to resume nuclear talks with the G5+1.
Nuclear talks between Iran and the G5+1 in Istanbul in January 2011 failed to reach any agreement as Tehran rejected any notion of suspending enrichment in exchange for trade and technology benefits, as called for by several UN Security Council resolutions passed since 2006.
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