Feb 15,2023:Chinese leader Xi Jinping expressed support for Iran during a visit to China by President Ebrahim Raisi as Tehran tries to expand relations with Beijing and Moscow to offset Western sanctions over its nuclear development.
“China supports Iran in safeguarding national sovereignty” and “resisting unilateralism and bullying,” Xi said in a statement carried by Chinese state TV on its website on Tuesday.
His comments came as China hosted Raisi on his first state visit to the Asian economic giant and the first by an Iranian president in 20 years.
Xi called for a proper resolution to the Iran nuclear issue as he expressed Beijing’s “solidarity” with Iran amid global uncertainty.
China will continue to “participate constructively” in talks to resume negotiations on implementing the Iran nuclear agreement, Xi told Raisi in talks in Beijing.
A 2015 nuclear agreement limited Iran’s uranium enrichment programme to make it harder for Tehran to develop nuclear arms in return for lifting international sanctions. Iran says it was further developing nuclear energy for peaceful reasons.
But in 2018, then-United States President Donald Trump unilaterally abandoned the deal, saying it had not done enough to curb Tehran’s nuclear activities, and reimposed sanctions.
China has criticised Washington for withdrawing from the deal and insists the US should make the first move in reviving the pact.
In September, the US imposed new sanctions on companies involved in Iran’s oil exports, including five based in China. Washington said it would continue enforcing sanctions on Iran’s oil and petrochemical sales so long as Tehran continues to accelerate its nuclear programme.
