China on U.S. Sanctions against Iran

Today, June 12, the speaker of China's ministry of foreign affairs, Liu Weimin, presided over another regular meeting of journalists. Among other subjects, this meeting was dealing with China's official position in the question of U.S. economic sanctions on Iran.



On the same day, CNN had already reported that some countries should be excluded from a U.S. "blacklist" of countries after having reduced their oil imports from Iran. CNN mentioned that only China would practically remain on that list.

Here's now an official response from China published by People's Network:

外交部:中国从伊朗进口原油完全合法合理 反对单边制裁

Headline:
Foreign affairs ministry: The import of crude oil from Iran is altogether, both, legitimate and reasonable. - Unilateral sanctions [will be] opposed.

问：据报道，美方宣布美《2012财年国防授权法》有关对伊朗制裁条款不适用印度、南非、韩国、台湾等经济体。美方已全面通告中方制裁范围和紧迫性，双方仍在就制裁问题进行对话。中方对此有何回应？是否将减少自伊朗原油进口？中美双方是否正就此进行谈判？

Question:
According to reports dealing with a U.S. declaration that their "law which has been authorized [on behalf of] national defence in the fiscal year of 2012" and which is related to the clause of sanctions against Iran should not be applicable against the economies of India, South Africa, South Korea and Taiwan: The U.S. side already and all-sidedly announced the range of sanctions against and urging of the Chinese side, while both sides are still engaged in a dialogue on the subject of those sanctions. Is there any [reaction / reply] from the Chinese side to this subject ? Are there reductions in the import of Iranian crude oil or not ? Are the Chinese and American side continuing their talks or not ?

答：中方一贯反对一国根据其国内法对另一国实施单边制裁，更不接受其将单边制裁强加于第三国的做法。中国从自身经济发展需要出发，通过正常渠道从伊朗进口原油，公开透明，不违反联合国安理会有关决议，不损害第三方和国际社会的利益，完全合法合理。中方已向美方清楚表达了上述立场。

Answer:
The Chinese side is persistently opposing one country's implementation of unilateral sanctions against another country on the basis of that [acting] country's internal laws. Furthermore, [China] doesn't accept any enforcement of their unilateral sanctions [directed at] the practice of third countries. China needs to proceed [on the basis of] its own economic development, importing crude oil from Iran by using regular channels [of trade], making it public and transparent, without violating the United Nations Security Council's resolutions, without harming the interest of third countries and the international community, altogether, both, legitimate and reasonable. The Chinese side has already made itself clear to the U.S. as to the above-mentioned standpoint.

Such declaration from Beijing is most drastically opposing the statements that Israel's president Shimon Peres made in an interview with Christiane Amanpour in her show on CNN tonight. Not only does he feel "in perfect agreement" with President Obama when it comes to economic sanctions on Iran. Furthermore, he says that military action "should be in Iranian minds".