China said on Thursday that discussions of new sanctions against Iran over its controversial nuclear program could undermine the efforts to resolve the issue using diplomacy.
"To talk about sanctions at the moment will complicate the situation and might stand in the way of finding a diplomatic solution," the BBC quoted Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi as saying during his current visit to France.
France and the United States are the strongest proponents of new sanctions through the UN against Iran among the six international mediators, which also include Russia, China, Britain and Germany.
Western powers suspect Iran of developing nuclear weapons under the current uranium enrichment program. Iran has denied the claims but has refused so far to officially accept a nuclear fuel swap proposed by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
However, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad indicated a possible change in Tehran's position by saying on Tuesday that Tehran had "no problem" with shipping out its low-enriched uranium abroad for further enrichment into 20% fuel for its nuclear research reactor.
The Chinese minister said this move signaled a change in the Iranian position and left more room for further negotiations.
"The whole thing is still evolving, and we think it is very important to concentrate on the diplomatic interaction and through dialogue and consultation we should seek every chance for an appropriate and mutually acceptable solution to this issue," Yang Jiechi said.
His remarks appear to be a serious setback for the renewed Western push for strong sanctions against Iran because China, with its Security Council veto power and its seat on the board of the governors of the IAEA, plays a key role in how the global community deals with Tehran.
The six mediators last met in New York on January 16, but in the face of Chinese resistance to a tougher course of action decided against immediate sanctions in the hope of finding new political and diplomatic solutions to the problem.
MOSCOW, January 4 (RIA Novosti)
