China Rules Out Iran Sanctions in January
Urges 'More Time and Patience' for Talks
Throwing a wrench into Obama Administration plans to move forward with new sanctions against Iran this month, the Chinese government has announced that there will be no debate on Iran sanctions at the UN Security Council in the month of January. China currently holds the council presidency, and can block such debate.
US officials had set a January 1 deadline for Iran to agree to P5+1 demands or face additional sanctions, and had already gotten Russian approval for the move. China, however, can use its veto power to block such sanctions essentially indefinitely.
Iran had been negotiating with the P5+1 on an agreement to enrich Iran’s uranium in a third party nation for use in its medical isotope reactor. Tentative drafts had been reached, but Western nations balked at Iran’s call to hold additional talks and demanded instead that Iran accept the draft as written without any additional dialogue. Despite this, the US insists that it remains open to talks with Iran.
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Robert Fisher
January 6th, 2010 at 6:00 am
Iran is within its rights and has done nothing wrong. Israel on the other hand who is legally not allowed any nuclear Weapons is armed to the Teeth and has been committing Genocide in Gaza and Palestine for Years. I think that this War President Obama is totally misguided. Kudos to China for prevailing with common sense and granting Iran the privileges that come with being a signatory to the nuclear treaty.
MvGuy
January 6th, 2010 at 2:54 pm
Yes, Andy…It must be a frightening proposition for some people to see a future where China would be involved in deciding world policy.. How will the 1.3 Billion view the cantankerous small states who
DEMAND special treatment…
Bernie
January 6th, 2010 at 3:20 pm
What is really sad, is that a great and powerful country capable of so much good in this world has been completely captured by a shitty small state in the ME to be used for its own rogue interests. What is even more distressing, is that the inhabitants of that great country are completely oblivious to that fact.
andy
January 7th, 2010 at 1:49 am
Well said.
Dedreckoning
January 7th, 2010 at 2:02 am
Not only are the inhabitants of the country oblivious, our foreign policy is delusional ,and consumed with global hubris.
Not only does China sit on over a trillion $ of US debt, Iran is a major supplier of oil and billions in LP gas, China and Iran have signed contracts that are in effect for decades. Does the US policy makers believe they can leverage the Chines Government into jeopardizing their own much needed energy supplies? Energy that China must have for their own survival?
China must simply shake their heads in disbelief at each instance of US petulance when it comes to demanding anything from China.