China renews call for dialogue on Iran

China says any action taken by the UN Security Council should be aimed at finding a peaceful solution to the standoff over Iran’s nuclear program.

“We believe that any action taken by the Security Council must be conducive to the settlement of the Iranian nuclear issue through dialogue and negotiation,” China’s Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu said on Thursday.

She reiterated Beijing’s stance that negotiations were the best way to resolve the standoff, adding that discussions over a draft Council resolution did not mean that diplomatic efforts had ended.

Jiang also warned that any new sanctions against Iran should not affect the lives of ordinary citizens.

Such action “should not punish Iranian people or affect their normal life,” AFP quoted the spokeswoman as saying.

The White House on Thursday said that the UN Security Council is expected to vote on a US-proposed resolution against Iran next week.

Iran, as a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and a member of the International Atomic Energy Agency, says its nuclear program is peaceful and aimed at the civilian application of the technology.