China News Service, July 14 (Xinhua) According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying spoke on the Iranian nuclear issue on the 14th.
Hua Chunying pointed out that July 14 is the fifth anniversary of the comprehensive agreement on the Iranian nuclear issue. On June 7, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi sent a special letter to the UN Secretary-General and the rotating chairman of the Security Council to fully expound China's position on the Iranian nuclear issue. Today, I would like to take this opportunity to reiterate China’s firm support for the comprehensive agreement.
She pointed out that five years ago, the six countries on the Iranian nuclear issue (China, Russia, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the United States) and the EU and Iran reached a historic comprehensive agreement in Vienna. The UN Security Council subsequently passed Resolution 2231, which approved this important result of multilateral diplomacy. The comprehensive agreement has become a key component of the international nuclear non-proliferation system, an important positive factor for maintaining international and regional peace and stability, and a useful practice for multilateralism to solve regional hot issues.
Hua Chunying said that it is regrettable that the United States has pursued unilateralism in recent years, renounced its own international obligations, ruined contracts and "retired from groups". The United States withdrew from the comprehensive agreement in May 2018 and tried to prevent other parties from implementing the agreement, which clearly violated Security Council Resolution 2231, triggering continued tension in the Iranian nuclear situation. At present, the United States is making every effort to push the Security Council to prolong its arms embargo against Iraq, and threatens to initiate the Security Council to quickly restore sanctions against Iraq in an attempt to further undermine the comprehensive agreement.
Hua Chunying said that China believes that maintaining and implementing a comprehensive agreement is the correct way to resolve the Iranian nuclear issue. Iran’s reduced implementation of the agreement is the result of extreme pressure from the United States. All parties to the comprehensive agreement should strengthen dialogue and consultation within the framework of the Joint Commission, seek a solution to the settlement of disputes in accordance with the step-by-step approach, and restore the balance of rights and obligations of the comprehensive agreement. All parties should support the IAEA and Iran to strengthen dialogue and cooperation, and properly resolve the issue of safeguards as soon as possible. At the same time, the international community should jointly oppose the United States pushing the Security Council to extend or restore sanctions against Iraq, and urge the United States to return to the correct track of complying with the comprehensive agreement and Security Council resolutions.
She said that on the Iranian nuclear issue, China's starting point has always been to maintain the international nuclear non-proliferation system and peace and stability in the Middle East, maintain the authority of multilateralism and the United Nations, and maintain the international order based on international law. In the process of negotiating the comprehensive agreement, China actively persuaded and promoted talks, put forward the Chinese plan at a critical moment, and made due contributions to reaching an agreement. In the implementation of the comprehensive agreement, China earnestly fulfilled its obligations and led the positive progress of the Arak heavy water reactor transformation, which has become an important highlight of the implementation of the comprehensive agreement. No matter how the international situation changes, China will always stand on the right side of history and work with other parties to the agreement to continue to promote the political and diplomatic settlement of the Iranian nuclear issue. At the same time, we will also firmly safeguard our legitimate rights and interests.