China unlikely to agree with any tough Iran sanction - F24 -415

http://www.france24.com/en/20100414-six-powers-resume-talks-iran-sanctions-un...
The meeting, following a similar exploratory one last week, got under way at the US mission to the UN and brought together the ambassadors of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council -- Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States -- plus Germany.

"We have a very important consultation with a focus on diplomacy," China's UN envoy Li Baodong said on his way to the talks.

Diplomats said envoys of four Western powers were trying to enlist the support of their Russian and Chinese counterparts for a fourth UN sanctions resolution aimed at persuading Tehran to halt its uranium enrichment program.
But diplomats said Russia and China were opposed to any ban on investments in the energy sector and were likely to resist measures that would authorize seizures of cargo suspected of containing materials linked to Iran's nuclear activities.

The US draft would also expand sanctions against Iran's elite Revolutionary Guard Corps, a pillar of the regime and the driving force behind its controversial nuclear program.

Tuesday, a top Chinese official said in Washington that China, which has close energy and economic ties with Tehran, was ready to discuss "new ideas" on Iran.

Chinese Deputy Foreign Minister Cui Tiankai said China still favored continued negotiations to resolve the dispute over Iran's controversial nuclear drive, but said it was open to discussion.

Tehran maintains that its nuclear program is peaceful and solely geared toward electricity generation for its growing population.

It also argues that it is entitled to conduct uranium enrichment under the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty it has signed.

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News & Politics

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• China
• Iran
• nuclear
• sanction
• UN
• US