China opposes the United States' unilateral sanctions on Iran and regrets Washington's attempts to escalate tensions surrounding the Tehran nuclear issue, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said on Monday
BEIJING (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 06th May, 2019) China opposes the United States' unilateral sanctions on Iran and regrets Washington's attempts to escalate tensions surrounding the Tehran nuclear issue, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said on Monday.US President Donald Trump announced last May that Washington would quit the Iran nuclear deal and reimpose sanctions on Iran. The US government did grant sanctions waivers to Iran's biggest oil importers but said in late April that it would not renew them. This decision came in the context of Washington's intention to eventually make all countries end their Iranian oil imports.
"The Chinese side opposes the US unilateral sanctions on Iran and regrets the fact that the actions of the United States lead to exacerbating the situation with the Iran nuclear issue," Geng said at a briefing.
He stressed that cooperation with Iran was absolutely legal under international law.
"The Chinese side will continue to fully implement the nuclear agreement with all parties, strongly protect the non-proliferation regime and ensure peace and stability in the middle East. In addition, China will firmly protect the legitimate interests of its companies," the spokesman added.
EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini, and the foreign ministers of France, Germany and the United Kingdom issued a joint statement on Saturday expressing concern over the US decision to scrap sanctions waivers and reiterating their commitment to maintaining financial and trade ties with the Islamic republic.
The Iran nuclear deal signed in 2015 by the European Union, China, France, Germany, Russia, the United Kingdom, the United States and Iran itself envisaged the gradual lifting of sanctions in return for Tehran keeping its nuclear program peaceful.
