According to Chinese state media, China, Iran, and Russia have called for diplomacy over “pressure and threats” and an end to “all illegal unilateral sanctions” following talks on Tehran’s nuclear program Friday in Beijing.
The discussion, attended by the three nations’ deputy foreign ministers, comes as Beijing seeks to position itself as a power broker on the critical international security problem, just days after US President Donald Trump stated that there were two ways to deal with Iran: a deal or “militarily.”
“The relevant parties should be committed to eliminating the root causes of the current situation and abandon sanctions pressure and threats of force,” China’s Executive Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu said Friday, according to Chinese state media.
Countries face pressure to find diplomatic solutions to manage Iran’s nuclear program – or trigger a return of United Nations sanctions – as a key deadline from a 2015 Iran nuclear deal looms.
Chinese officials have repeatedly voiced opposition to US sanctions on Iran and criticized the Trump administration’s “maximum pressure” campaign to deter the Middle Eastern country from developing nuclear weapons, launched after the first Trump administration withdrew Washington from the 2015 deal.
Following the meeting between Ma, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov, and Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi in Beijing Friday, the three nations called on relevant parties “to avoid actions that escalate the situation and jointly create a favourable atmosphere and conditions for diplomatic efforts,” according to a joint statement released by Chinese state media.
There is an increasing sense of urgency around finding a diplomatic path to rein in Iran’s nuclear program amid conflict in the Middle East. The UN nuclear watchdog warns that Iran has rapidly expanded its stock of what is considered near-bomb-grade uranium. Iran denies it wants a nuclear bomb and insists that its nuclear energy program is “entirely peaceful.”
Trump is pushing for a new deal, while European powers have held multiple rounds of talks with Tehran in recent months on the issue.
Observers say the diplomatic push in Beijing fits with China’s broader aim to position itself as an alternative global leader to the US – a goal Chinese leaders see more opportunity to achieve as Trump shakes up foreign policy with his “America First” agenda.
“China is increasingly motivated to deepen its involvement (in the Iran nuclear issue) to safeguard its interests, expand its regional influence and reinforce its image as a responsible global power,” said Tong Zhao, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace think tank in Washington.
By having both Russia and Iran in the room, China “may also aim to highlight the significance of non-Western approaches to resolving global challenges,” he added.
