China defends 'economic interests' with Iran

15.02.2012

China does not want to see Iran develop nuclear weapons but intends to pursue its "legitimate economic interests" despite Western sanctions on the Islamic republic, an official said. "We call for efforts to maintain the effectiveness of the international non-proliferation regime and to maintain peace and stability in the region," he told reporters at a briefing in Washington late Tuesday.
"As for relevant Security Council resolutions on sanctions, we voted for these resolutions and we have been enforcing them most strictly. But we do have reservations on unilateral sanctions and this is nothing new." He added that "with regard to Iran... the legitimate economic interests and energy demands of China should not be affected."