US seeks Chinese help on Iran, N. Korea

The US President calls on China to help his country resolve the nuclear issues in North Korea and Iran amid the concerns of world powers over nuclear proliferation.

“Make no mistake: the more nations acquire these weapons, the more likely it is that they will be used,” said Barack Obama, who has made the elimination of nuclear weapons his signature priority,” AFP quoted President Barack Obama as saying in his opening remarks at a two-day US-China strategic dialogue in Washington.

He added that the US and China “must be united in preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon and urging the Islamic Republic to live up to its international obligations”.

Iran insists its nuclear activities are in line with its obligations under the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and are aimed at the civilian application of the technology.

The US and its European allies accuse the Tehran government of engaging in clandestine efforts to obtain nuclear weaponry, warning of a nuclear arms race in the volatile Middle East. They, however, ignore Israel’s possession of what is widely believed to be over 200 nuclear warheads.

Although Iran has always remained a signatory to the NPT, Israel, along with two other nuclear weapon producers, Pakistan and India have refused to sign the treaty.

In his Tuesday’s remarks, Obama also warned of a “nuclear arms race” in East Asia should the latest North Korean nuclear and missile tests go unchecked.

“Neither America nor China has an interest in a terrorist acquiring a bomb, or a nuclear arms race breaking out in East Asia,” he said.

Obama concluded that the two nations should “make it clear to North Korea that the path to security and respect can be traveled if they meet their obligations.”