China on Thursday took a more prominent role in efforts to contain Iran's nuclear drive and President Hu Jintao announced that he will go to a major anti-proliferation summit in Washington this month.
China on Thursday took a more prominent role in efforts to contain
Iran's nuclear drive and President Hu Jintao announced that he will go to a
major anti-proliferation summit in Washington this month.
But while a top
U.S.
official said
China
had
agreed to "serious negotiations" on new UN sanctions, the Chinese
government insisted it was working for a "peaceful resolution" of the
nuclear standoff.
Iran
sent
its top nuclear negotiator to
Beijing
and
described the talk of new international action as an empty threat.
The presence of
Tehran
's
chief nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili in
Beijing
highlighted
China
's
role in the tense UN Security Council debate on
Iran
's
uranium enrichment.
The
U.S.
and
its allies suspect the programme is part of a drive to develop a nuclear bomb.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel held telephone talks with
China
's
Premier Wen Jiabao on
Iran
, her
office said.
But while Western nations are stepping up pressure for sanctions,
China
is
sticking to its insistence on more talks.
"On the Iranian nuclear issue,
China
will
continue to endeavor toward a peaceful resolution," Chinese foreign
ministry spokesman Qin Gang told reporters.
"We have always and will continue to push for a peaceful settlement of
this issue," Qin said, adding that the crisis should be resolved by
"diplomatic means".
Qin said Jalili would meet Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi and other Chinese
officials.
Qin also announced that President Hu would attend U.S. President Barack Obama's
nuclear security summit in
Washington
on
April 12-13.
The visit would be a chance for the two powers to ease tensions that have mounted
in recent months as well as discuss
Iran
.
Obama said Tuesday he wants a fourth round of UN sanctions agreed upon within
weeks.
China
, one
of five veto-wielding members of the Security Council, has repeatedly called
for a negotiated settlement, rather than new punitive action.
But the
U.S.
ambassador to the United Nations, Susan Rice, signalled a shift in
China
's
attitude on
Iran
.
"
China
has
agreed to sit down and begin serious negotiations here in
New
York
," Rice told CNN on Wednesday.
"This is progress, but the negotiations have yet to begin in
earnest," Rice said.
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton predicted on Tuesday that the Security
Council would reach a consensus on new sanctions.
"We see a growing awareness on the part of many countries including
China
as to
the consequences of a nuclear-armed
Iran
to
regional and global stability, to our oil supply," she said.
"We think that there will be a consensus reached as to the best way
forward."
China
has a
close diplomatic and trade relationship with
Iran
,
dominated by its imports of Iranian energy resources, and its position remains
key to the future of the long-running standoff.
Russia
has
also been reluctant to agree new sanctions but has taken a harder line on
Iran
's
nuclear program in recent weeks.
The five permanent members of the Security Council --
Britain
,
China
,
France,
Russia
and
the
U.S.
--
plus
Germany
have
been involved in talks with
Iran
for
months.
Oil-rich
Iran
insists its nuclear program is peaceful and it has the right to nuclear
technology.
The
Tehran
government on Thursday shrugged off talk of new sanctions.
"The nuclear program of the Islamic republic is fully peaceful and the
talk of sanctions is a threat that has been ineffective over the past 30 years,"
foreign ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said.
"We recommend that all countries accept the legal rights (of
Iran
)
under the Non-Proliferation Treaty, instead of using wrong methods such as
sanctions and pressure," Mehmanparast said, according to Mehr news agency.
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