China: Western sanctions on Iran unconstructive, ineffective

China has denounced the Western embargoes against Iran as “ineffective” and underscored the importance of dialog as the best channel to resolve the Western dispute over Tehran’s nuclear energy program.

“The positions of the Chinese government on this issue are crystal clear. We believe the sanctions will not be constructive and effective and I reiterate that the imposition of embargoes against Tehran will not resolve the existing problems,” said China’s Permanent Representative to the UN Li Baodong in a Saturday interview with IRNA.

The Chinese envoy called on the West “to settle its differences with Tehran over Iran’s nuclear [energy] program at the negotiation table.”

He pointed to the upcoming round of talks between Iran and the P5+1 – the UN permanent members plus Germany – in the Iraqi capital city, Baghdad, on May 23, saying if both sides reach a consensus during the Iraq talks, “there will be no concerns for the global community.”

China and Russia, as two veto-wielding powers at the UN Security Council, have persistently expressed their support for Iran’s nuclear energy program, voicing opposition to further sanctions against Tehran.

Iran and the P5+1 wrapped up their latest negotiations in the Turkish city of Istanbul on April 14 and agreed to hold the next round of the talks in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad on May 23, 2012.

Both sides hailed the Istanbul talks as constructive.

Tehran says it is ready to continue the talks based on common grounds, adding however, that it has no intention of backing down on any of its rights.