[NYTr] China opposes threatening Iran with war

[All the News That Doesn't Fit]

Reuters -Sep 18, 2007
http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSPEK16109320070918?feedType=RSS&feedName=topNews

China says it opposes threatening Iran with war

BEIJING (Reuters) - China is opposed to threatening Iran with war over
its nuclear program and stands for a diplomatic solution, a government
spokeswoman said on Tuesday.

The United States, Germany, France, Britain, Russia and China have
backed two rounds of U.N. sanctions against Iran over its refusal to
halt uranium enrichment and other sensitive work that could be used to
make nuclear weapons.

"We believe the best option is to peacefully resolve the Iranian
nuclear issue through diplomatic negotiations, which is in the common
interests of the international community," Chinese Foreign Ministry
spokeswoman Jiang Yu said at a regular briefing.

"We do not approve of easily resorting to threatening use of force in
international affairs," Jiang said when asked to comment on remarks by
French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner raising the prospect of war
with Iran.

Kouchner said on Sunday that Paris must prepare for the possibility of
war with Tehran, although it was not an immediate danger.

Washington is leading a drive in the Security Council for a third
sanctions resolution to punish Iran for enrichment, and White House
spokesman Dana Perino said the United States was looking for a
diplomatic solution.

China is one of five veto-wielding permanent members of the Security
Council.

Iran denies it is secretly seeking nuclear weapons, saying it only
wants to generate electricity. But it has ignored U.N. demands to
suspend enrichment, and Washington has called a September 21 meeting
for major powers to discuss further sanctions.