Cooperation and relations with Iran will continue, said China’s state news agency Xinhua citing a statement from Chinese State Councilor Wang Yi.
The stance is diametrically opposite to the Trump Administration’s diplomatic approach with Iran, with U.S. President Donald Trump withdrawing the United States from the 2015 landmark nuclear accord with Iran that was aimed at preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons.
According to Xinhua’s report which cites a telephonic conversation between a Chinese diplomat with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) with regard to the 2015 deal with Tehran in which the latter had agreed to curb its nuclear development in return for lifting of most sanctions is in line with the “common interest” of the international community. Thus China will continue with its diplomatic and economic cooperation with Tehran.
“We have openly indicated that we oppose the wrong practices of unilateral sanctions and ‘long-arm jurisdiction’ in international relations,” Xinhua quoted Wang Yi as saying.
Beijing has cultivated close commercial links with Tehran, especially in the energy sector, thus its current posturing of economic and diplomatic cooperation.
Incidentally, with the U.S. sanctions being snapbacked on Iran, the European Union has prepared a new EU law aimed at shielding European companies from U.S. sanctions; this is set to take effect in the near future.
Earlier this year in August, China’s foreign ministry described its ties with Tehran as being open, transparent and lawful. These comments came in the wake of U.S. President Donald Trump stating companies doing business with Iran would be barred from having commercial ties with the United States.
Earlier this year, Trump chose to discontinue economic and diplomatic cooperation with Tehran and pulled the United States out of the JCPOA, despite the pleas from allies and other world powers, including France, Germany, Britain, Russia and China, that had co-sponsored the 2015 landmark agreement.