AFP: China and France share identical views on the Iranian nuclear issue and on Afghanistan, French Prime Minister Francois Fillon said Tuesday following talks with China's top leaders. BEIJING (AFP) — China and France share identical views on the Iranian nuclear issue and on Afghanistan, French Prime Minister Francois Fillon said Tuesday following talks with China's top leaders.
Fillon held talks Monday with China's Premier Wen Jiabao and met President Hu Jintao Tuesday as the two nations signed a series of lucrative accords.
"We share identical views on how to lead Iran away from its threatening stance and isolation on the nuclear issue, as well as how to bring back peace, security and development in Afghanistan and assist Pakistan in its fight against extremism," Fillon told reporters.
China and France are involved in marathon talks over the Iranian nuclear issue, negotiations that also include the United States, Russia, Britain and Germany.
Tehran insists its nuclear programme is solely for civilian purposes and rejects Western suspicions that it is covertly trying to develop a bomb.
Iran is under three sets of UN sanctions for refusing to suspend enrichment and risks a further round after rejecting a UN-brokered deal to send its low-enriched uranium abroad to be further refined into fuel for the reactor.
Tehran has rejected offers of dialogue with the Western nations, while China has only reluctantly agreed to sanction a nation that it depends on for oil resources.
