Iran: US-led pressure on China 'ineffective'

Iran on Tuesday criticized the West for increasing pressure on China to give its consent to more sanctions against Tehran over its nuclear work.

Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast called visits by certain Western officials to China to persuade it to support fresh anti-Iran sanctions "ineffective," adding that China was independent enough not to give in to Western pressure.

"China is independent enough not to be swayed by Western policies to pressurize Iran, a country that has nationalized a technology and wants to use it for peaceful purposes," he said.

He went on to stress that it was Israel not Iran that posed a real threat to the region and accused Tel Aviv of inciting anti-Tehran rhetoric.

The US has been lobbying for fresh punitive measures against Iran.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton visited China in February to discuss different issues including Iran's nuclear program.

British Foreign Secretary David Miliband also headed to Beijing on Monday to convince it to agree to a new round of sanctions against Iran.

US-led calls for more sanctions against Iran have mainly received a chilly response from China, a veto-wielding member of the UNSC, which insists that diplomacy should be exercised regarding the nuclear standoff.

Iran says any punitive measures against the country are legally baseless as Tehran's nuclear work is being fully monitored by the UN nuclear watchdog.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=120947§ionid=351020104.