China on board for new sanctions resolution against Iran – report

Iran Focus: London, Dec. 03 – China has shifted from its position of outright opposing increased pressure on Iran at the UN Security Council and is now willing to accept a new set of sanctions against Tehran over its refusal to halt uranium enrichment, Britain’s Financial Times reported on Monday. Iran Focus

London, Dec. 03 – China has shifted from its position of outright opposing increased pressure on Iran at the UN Security Council and is now willing to accept a new set of sanctions against Tehran over its refusal to halt uranium enrichment, Britain’s Financial Times reported on Monday.

In a move that will boost expectations in western capitals that a new UN sanctions resolution could be agreed within weeks, Beijing signalled over the weekend that it was prepared to back measures that will hit Iran’s banking and business sector, while also prohibiting more senior Iranians from travelling abroad, the FT wrote.

At a meeting on Saturday of political directors of the P5 – Britain, China, France, Russia, and the United States – and Germany, China indicated that Iran’s recent unwillingness to cooperate with the UN over its nuclear program means it is now prepared to back a fresh range of sanctions, the report said.

“China’s move is the most significant thing that happened at the meeting”, said a senior western diplomat. “If China had gone on expressing objections to more sanctions, it could have taken us six months to get a resolution approved. But there has been a surprisingly good discussion, and momentum towards a new resolution should develop quickly”.