China yesterday urged renewed talks aimed at ending the dispute over Iran's nuclear program, warning that UN sanctions imposed on Saturday are unlikely to resolve the conflict.

 

"We hope the (UN) resolution is earnestly carried out, but at the same time consider that sanctions are not the goal, and cannot fundamentally resolve the issue," Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao said in a statement on the ministry website.

 

China has all along supported the international non-proliferation mechanism, Liu said, stressing that the nation favors a peaceful solution to Iran's nuclear issue.

 

He made the remarks after the UN Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution Saturday imposing sanctions against Iran over its controversial nuclear activities.

 

The resolution demanded that Iran "suspend all enrichment-related and reprocessing activities, including research and development," and "work on all heavy water-related projects."

 

The resolution called on all states to impose a ban on trade with Iran in goods related to its nuclear programs and ballistic missile delivery systems.

 

But Beijing wants to see a "negotiated, peaceful settlement to the Iranian nuclear issue," Liu said. He called on all parties to the dispute to "push for an early resumption of talks to reach a long-term, comprehensive settlement."

 

China's UN Ambassador Wang Guangya echoed the view.

 

"China wishes to emphasize that sanctions are not the end but a means to urge Iran to resume negotiations. Sanction measures adopted by the Security Council this time are limited and reversible."

 

There are explicit provisions indicating that if Iran suspends its enrichment related and reprocessing activities, complies with the relevant resolutions of the Security Council and meets the requirements of the IAEA, the Security Council shall suspend and even terminate the sanction measures, he said after the UN adopted the resolution.

 

The Iranian government quickly rejected the resolution, vowing in a statement from Teheran to continue enriching uranium.

 

Tao Wenzhao, deputy director of the Institute of American Studies affiliated to the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), said the resolution demonstrated the UN resolve to keep the international nuclear non-proliferation mechanism intact by urging Iran to return to the negotiating table.

 

The resolution is in response to Iran's failure to comply with an August 31 UN deadline to suspend uranium enrichment. "Now the ball is in Iran's court," said Tao. "It should heed the demands and expectations on its nuclear program."

 

Yin Gang, a professor at CASS' Institute of West Asian and African Studies, added: "Compliance from Iran would contribute to a diplomatic solution to the stalemate."

 

(China Daily December 25, 2006)