China urges political resolve in Iran nuclear issue

BEIJING, June 3 (Xinhua) -- China hopes that all parties concerned will rise above disturbances, act with greater sense of urgency, make a political decision without delay on the Iran nuclear issue, and resolve the remaining issues with a flexible and pragmatic attitude, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said on Thursday.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin made the remarks in response to a media query about the negotiations in Vienna to bring the Iran nuclear deal back to life.

Wang said that the current talks on reviving the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) have made significant progress, and all parties have shown the political will to reach an agreement. There are, however, still some differences between relevant parties, which need to be bridged through tough negotiations.

He stressed that China believes that the key to a breakthrough in the negotiations is to have a correct view of right and wrong.

He noted that the root cause of the Iranian nuclear crisis is the United States unilaterally withdrew from the JCPOA and exerted "maximum pressure" on Iran. Wang added that the U.S. should lift all unilateral sanctions against Iran and third parties, and Iran should resume full implementation of the nuclear deal on this basis.

China has always participated in the negotiations in a constructive manner, Wang said, which has played a significant role in building consensus and resolving differences among all parties.

"China will continue to work for an early agreement among all parties, maintain the international nuclear non-proliferation system, and safeguard peace and stability in the Middle East," Wang said, adding that China would also firmly safeguard its own legitimate and lawful rights and interests.