China urges restraint in Iran nuclear crisis

Thu Jan 19, 6:43 AM ET

LONDON (Reuters) - China again called for restraint in the Iran crisis on Thursday, with no sign of international consensus yet on the West's drive for the U.N. Security Council to take charge of efforts to curb Tehran's nuclear program.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad began a visit to Syria in a signal to the world that the two regional allies, each facing threats of referral to the council, will not be cowed.

Ahmadinejad has scorned a resolution drafted by Britain, France and Germany asking the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to report Iran to the top world body for failing to remove suspicions that it is seeking nuclear arms.

China said it had not seen the draft, so far only shared with the United States and European governments, and reiterated its preference for a diplomatic way out of the crisis.

"We hope all parties will exercise restraint and patience and appropriately resolve the Iran nuclear issue through peaceful means," a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman said.

Iran, which says its nuclear projects are for electricity, not bombs, is waging a high-stakes diplomatic battle with the West to head off any Security Council censure or sanctions.

China and Russia, both permanent Council members with veto powers like the United States, France and Britain, have big trade interests in Iran and are wary of any full-scale embargo, as are several developing nations with seats on the council or on the IAEA's 35-nation board of governors.

The board will hold an emergency session on February 2 to debate whether to refer Iran to the council after its removal last week of U.N. seals on uranium enrichment equipment prompted Britain, France and Germany to abandon two years of negotiations.

EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana said on Wednesday European states were considering a Russian proposal that the IAEA should simply ask the council to debate Iran's case before returning it to the U.N. nuclear watchdog to be dealt with.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin also did not specify what action they expected the IAEA to take at its February 2 meeting.

"I think we have to think step by step, and above all send a signal to Iran that shows the international community won't accept it if Iran doesn't respect the commitments that are expected of it and the promises it has made," Merkel said.

OIL MUSCLE

Such general language may have little sting for Iran, confident in its strong position as the world's fourth biggest oil exporter in an already tight global energy market.

Iran's top nuclear negotiator, Ali Larijani, said his country was willing to discuss the West's concerns, but offered no hint that it would call off its nuclear fuel research -- technology that can be used for power stations or weapons.

"They should not ask a brave nation with very good scientists to expect not to engage in nuclear research," he told the British Broadcasting Corporation. "If they want guarantees of no diversion of nuclear fuel (for military use) we can reach a formula acceptable to both sides in talks."

He was apparently referring to a Russian proposal to enrich uranium in a joint venture on Iran's behalf. Talks on this are due to resume in Moscow on February 16, although Western officials have expressed skepticism about Iran's intentions.

China favors reopening the previous main diplomatic channel -- talks between Iran and the EU trio of Britain, France and Germany -- but EU and U.S. officials say this is impossible unless Iran returns to a moratorium on sensitive nuclear work.

Neither Iran nor Syria faces an imminent threat of military action or broad sanctions at the council, but will come under more diplomatic pressure on every front, analysts say.

Syria is the focus of a U.N. murder inquiry into the death of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri. Damascus denies any involvement in the February 14 bombing that killed him.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was the first foreign head of state to visit Iran after Ahmadinejad, a religious conservative, took office in August.

Iran's new president seized that opportunity to vow closer cooperation in the face of U.S. pressure and is returning the visit at a time when Assad finds himself particularly isolated.

Both listed by Washington as sponsors of terrorism, Syria and Iran accuse the United States of backing the interests of their arch-foe Israel at the expense of Muslims and Arabs.

Ahmadinejad's calls for Israel to be wiped out have heightened Western alarm about Iran's nuclear intentions.

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