China defends Iran against US ‘zeroing’

Shaima Hafezy

China is on the front line between the United States and Iran, amid strained trade ties between Beijing and Washington, as Tehran seeks to build alliances to ease the impact of US sanctions on its oil exports.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry warned the US administration against interfering in oil cooperation between China and other countries, including Iran, IRNA reported.

A spokesman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry issued a statement referring to US government warnings to Hong Kong on cooperation with Iran’s oil tanker as “illegal warnings”.

China strongly rejects unilateral measures, embargoes and prejudices by the United States, the ministry said in a statement.

In a related context, the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Department said in a statement that it cannot implement the unilateral US embargo, despite its commitment to the resolutions issued by the United Nations.

The United States is seeking to end Iran’s oil exports, in accordance with its “zeroing” decision, which eliminated exemptions from sanctions on countries still buying oil from Iran.

In response to the resolution, Iran suspended many of the commitments of the nuclear agreement and threatened to increase the pace of uranium enrichment if European countries do not act to protect their oil and banking industries from the effects of US sanctions within two months.

In the same context, Chinese ambassador to Iran Pang Sen met with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and Ali Larijani, chairman of the Islamic Shura Council, at the end of his diplomatic mission in Tehran.

Pang Sen said he had had good cooperation with “Iranian friends” over the past five years, describing bilateral relations during this period as having seen sustained growth, with intensive exchanges aimed at promoting joint economic and trade cooperation.

The ambassador opined that the United States will lose its power in the future, which will be a victory for Iran and China. He stressed that despite the US attempts to block the course of relations between Iran and China, he is optimistic about the future of bilateral relations. The new Chinese ambassador will continue the steps to achieve the goals of the two countries.

Iran has notified the five remaining nuclear powers after the withdrawal of the United States that it will reduce its obligations under the agreement. Tehran has asked these countries, including Germany, Britain and France, to help protect their economy from US sanctions.

“The nuclear agreement can be protected through practical measures, not only through statements of support,” Iran’s news agency IRNA quoted Iran as saying.

According to Tehran, “If the international community feels that this (nuclear) agreement is an important achievement, it must take practical steps as Iran does. The meaning of practical steps is quite clear. Iran’s economic relations must be normalized. ”

A senior IMF official said last month that Iran’s economy was expected to shrink for a second straight year and inflation would hit 40 percent as the country faces the consequences of tougher US sanctions.