China, Russia and Iran have called for an end of “illegal and unilateral sanctions” as well as “threats of force” against Tehran following three-way talks in Beijing on Friday.
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In a joint statement released by Chinese state broadcaster CCTV, the three countries said diplomatic engagement and dialogue based on “mutual respect” were the “only effective and viable options” for addressing the issue of Iran’s nuclear programme.
They added that all parties should work to “eliminate the root causes” of the problem, saying: “The three countries stressed the need to end all illegal unilateral sanctions. Relevant parties should … abandon sanctions pressure and threats of force.”
The statement did not explicitly mention the United States, but the meeting was held after Iran rejected Donald Trump’s proposal to restart nuclear talks.
During his first term as president, Trump pulled the United States out of an international deal in which Iran agreed to limit its nuclear programme in return for the lifting of sanctions.
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Chinese foreign vice-minister Ma Zhaoxu appeared at a joint press conference alongside his Russian and Iranian counterparts Sergei Ryabkov and Kazem Gharibabadi, where he said: “We stressed the importance of UN Security Council Resolution 2231 and its time frame, and called on the parties concerned to avoid actions that escalate the situation and jointly create a favourable atmosphere and conditions for diplomatic efforts.”