The Chinese diplomat told reporters at a briefing on Wednesday that Beijing abided by the UN Security Council resolutions on Iran but rejected unilateral US and European sanctions targeting Iran's oil sector.
Beijing follows the relevant UN resolutions on the Iran nuclear issue, Cheng said, adding “but at the same time, China opposes using bilateral sanctions to force other countries or to harm other countries from normal trading with Iran.”
The US, Israel and some of their allies accuse Iran of pursuing military objectives in its nuclear energy program.
In a bid to pile up pressure on the country, the US and EU have recently imposed tough financial and oil sanctions against Iran.
The EU agreed on January 23 to ban imports of oil as well as petroleum products from Iran and freeze the assets of the Iranian Central Bank across the EU. Under the sanctions, insurers in the EU, where most insurance is provided, will also be prohibited from covering liabilities relating to Iranian crude oil.
On the New Year’s Eve, US President Barack Obama also signed into a law sanctions targeting the Central Bank of Iran (CBI) and the country’s financial sector.
Iran has repeatedly dismissed the allegations over its nuclear activities, arguing that as a committed signatory to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and a member of the International Atomic Energy Agency, it has the right to use nuclear technology for peaceful purposes.
press tv/281
China's Vice Foreign Minister Cheng Guoping has repeated Beijing’s opposition to unilateral sanctions against Iran over its nuclear energy program.
News ID 181834
