BEIJING: China said Thursday that any sanctions eventually adopted by the UN Security Council against Iran in response to its nuclear program should not adversely affect the lives of ordinary citizens.
The comments from foreign ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu came after the United States said a draft sanctions resolution targeting the Islamic republic would come to a vote in the Council by June 21.
"We believe that any action taken by the Security Council must be conducive to the settlement of the Iranian nuclear issue through dialogue and negotiation," Jiang told reporters.
She added that such action "should not punish Iranian people or affect their normal life".
The spokeswoman reiterated Beijing’s stance that negotiations were the best way to resolve the stand-off, adding that discussion of a draft Council resolution did not mean that diplomatic efforts had ended.
The West and Israel fear that Iran’s atomic program is a cover for a nuclear weapons drive. Tehran denies that charge, saying its activities are peaceful in nature.
Washington has said that all five permanent veto-wielding members of the Council, including Russia and China, have backed a draft resolution on sanctions targeting Tehran.
Earlier this week, China — a close ally of Iran with significant energy interests in the Islamic republic — urged Tehran to improve its cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency.
The IAEA said in report obtained by AFP that it remained concerned about the true nature of Iran’s nuclear activities, and that Tehran was producing higher-enriched uranium.
