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1 Feb, 2012

China’s Firm Stance on Iran Issue: No Nukes, And No War

As Israel, the United States and Europe continue to ratchet up their anti-Iran threats, China has made clear that it does not support a war. The following is the full text of a commentary published in the official media, People’s Daily Online.

By Zhong Sheng (People’s Daily)

February 01, 2012, Edited and translated by People’s Daily Online

Despite the delicate situation in Syria, the world’s attention is now focused on the confrontation between Iran and the West.

Saber-rattling does not necessarily turn into an actual war. Iran is a major oil exporter, and the Persian Gulf is a strategic energy transportation hub. The complex situation and uncertain prospects for the region have caused instability in global energy markets, and cast a heavy shadow over the world economy. Once this hornets’ nest is stirred up, the entire world will be affected.

The confrontation between Iran and the West is a threat to world peace and a challenge for China. With rising global clout, it is in China’s interests to make its stance clear and to make practical efforts to resolve this major issue.

China has made it clear from the very beginning that Iran must not produce or possess nuclear weapons, but sanctions and confrontation are not conductive to resolving the issue. All parties involved should return to the negotiating table as soon as possible. China’s clear stance shows its responsible attitude, respect for justice, adherence to peace, and opposition to war.

Fairness and Justice are powerful. That is why few people dare to challenge China’s standpoint in the moral level. Currently, voices of criticizing and censuring China’s policies are mainly focused on two aspects: China’s principled standpoint is weak and practical influence is limited; China’s attitude of promoting peace and negotiations actually means lacking responsibility.

It must be seen that these negative voices are not real. Some of them are out of the hatred from the fact that China does not cooperate with the West’s operations; and some of them are out of the true worry on issue that whether China could safeguard its legal interests effectively.

China’s diplomacy is open, frank and forthright. What China can declare clearly is that only the common interests of the people of China and the world are safeguarded can the global peace and developed be promoted.

As long as someone clearly understands this fundamental point, he could truly understand the practical spirit and constructive attitude of China’s diplomacy.