China Says Not to Accept US Unilateral Sanctions on Iran

“China will by no means accept the unilateral sanctions which are groundless under the international law and we will resolutely safeguard our own legitimate rights and interests,” Chunying told reporters on Monday, according to Chinese Foreign Ministry’s news portal.

She added, “Upholding and implementing the JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action) remains an arduous task. The Chinese side will continue with its efforts to uphold the outcome of multilateralism.”

“Currently, the JCPOA is at a critical juncture about where to go. The convening of this meeting demonstrates all relevant parties' support to the JCPOA. The meeting issued the foreign ministers' joint statement as its outcome, which sent out positive political signal,” the Chinese diplomat further said, referring to a meeting held among senior diplomats from Iran, Russia, China, Britain, France, Germany and the European Union, in Vienna on July 6 to discuss ways to save the Iran nuclear deal. 

The meeting came to an end with a statement from the JCPOA joint commission.

“All relevant parties also agreed to take coordinated actions to straighten out the implementation mechanism of the JCPOA and advance the specific projects stipulated by the agreement.”

“The UK agreed to take over as the co-chair of the joint working group on the redesigning and reconstruction of the Arak heavy-water reactor after the US pullout. All relevant parties welcomed that and reached consensus on standing together against the unilateral sanctions that violate the international rules,” she further said.

US President Donald Trump announced on May 8 that Washington was walking away from the nuclear agreement, which was reached in 2015 between Iran and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council - the United States, Britain, France, Russia and China - plus Germany.

Trump also said he would reinstate US nuclear sanctions on Iran and impose “the highest level” of economic bans on the Islamic Republic.