China Slams US Sanctions against Iran As Cooperation Agreement Is Launched
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi slammed the United States’ unilateral withdrawal from the JCPOA and its sanctions on Iran, saying it should bear the main responsibility and rectify its mistake as soon as possible.
During a meeting between Wang Yi and Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian in Wuxi, east China's Jiangsu Province on Friday, China and Iran announced the launch of the implementation of the comprehensive cooperation plan between the two countries.
The two countries agreed the plan for China-Iran comprehensive cooperation in March last year.
The foreign ministers of two countries agreed to step up cooperation in energy, infrastructure, production capacity, science and technology, and medical and health care, according to a statement of the meeting.
Bilateral cooperation will also be expanded to agriculture, fisheries, cybersecurity and the third party market, as well as people-to-people and cultural exchanges in education, film and personnel training, said the statement.
Wang said China will continue to do its utmost to provide vaccines to Iran and is ready to expand cooperation in all areas to elevate the China-Iran comprehensive strategic partnership to a new level.
On his part, Amirabdollahian said Iran firmly supports China in safeguarding its core interests and upholding the one-China policy, adding that his country highly appreciates and will take an active part in jointly building the Belt and Road.
Amirabdollahian also delivered an “important” written message by Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi to Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Iran firmly supports China in hosting a successful Winter Olympic Games and will actively attend the opening ceremony and participate in the Games, he added.
The two foreign ministers also touched on the Iranian nuclear situation, as Wang, who is also state councilor, said the US bore primary responsibility for the continuing difficulties with Iran, having unilaterally withdrawn from the 2015 nuclear deal between the major powers and Iran.
Reaffirming its opposition to unilateral sanctions by the United States against Iran , Wang said that China will firmly support the resumption of negotiations on the implementation of the JCPOA and continue to participate constructively in follow-up negotiations, adding that all parties should make efforts to advance the political and diplomatic settlement process.
Iran is committed to reaching a package of stable guarantee agreement through serious negotiations, and appreciates China's constructive role in the process, Amirabdollahian said.
Iran will maintain close communication with China, he added.
Former US president Donald Trump left the nuclear deal in 2018 and initiated a “maximum pressure” policy against Iran, prompting Tehran to take remedial measures by gradually reducing its nuclear commitments under the deal.
Since April 2021, representatives from Iran and the P4+1 group of countries – France, Britain, Germany, Russia and China – have been holding talks in Vienna aimed at revitalizing the JCPOA and bringing the US back to compliance.
The eighth round of the Vienna talks began on December 27 with a focus on the removal of all US sanctions. The US is not allowed to directly attend the talks due to its pullout in 2018 from the landmark deal with Iran.
During the previous round of the talks, the first under Iran’s new president, Iran presented new proposals at the negotiating table to help the talks move forward and later criticized the European signatories of the JCPOA for failing to follow suit and remaining passive.
