China says Iran energy ties not influencing Beijing’s stance
Updated: Friday, October 16, 2009
10:30GMT—6:30AM/EST
Washington, 16 October (WashingtonTV)—China’s ambassador to Israel denied that Beijing’s energy ties with Tehran were influencing its approach to the Iranian nuclear standoff, in remarks published on Friday.
“I don’t agree with these claims or these assessments on China’s position. I think some people draw this conclusion because they got distorted reports on China’s position,” Ambassador Zhao Jun told the Jerusalem Post in an interview.
China has repeatedly opposed calls by the United States and Europe for harsher sanctions against Iran over its nuclear program. Western powers suspect Iran is using the guise of a civilian nuclear program to develop nuclear arms, a charge Tehran strongly denies.
China is the second largest oil importer in the world, after the United States. Twelve percent of China’s oil imports come from Iran, according to the Jerusalem Post.
At the same time, Iran buys gasoline from China, due to its inability to refine enough crude oil.
“China has been pursuing a foreign policy of peace and independence. We judge the issues according to its merits,” he said, when asked about suggestions that the energy ties were behind Beijing’s refusal to back tougher sanctions.
On Thursday, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao hosted Iranian First Vice President Mohammad Reza Rahimi in Beijing, and praised expanding bilateral cooperation in trade and energy.
Zhao, who spoke to the Jerusalem Post on Wednesday, said that Beijing would continue to back diplomacy as a means of resolving the nuclear row.
Still, the ambassador asserted that China was firmly opposed to an Iranian nuclear weapons program.
China’s position has been “consistent and clear-cut,” he said. “We support maintaining the international nonproliferation regime. In this sense, we are strongly against the idea that the Iranians should develop nuclear weapons.”
At the same time, Beijing supports every country’s right to the peaceful use of nuclear energy, he added.
Source: Jerusalem Post
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