Political and diplomatic efforts remain the sole viable path to resolve the Iranian nuclear issue, Li Song, China's permanent representative to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said on Thursday.
The IAEA Board of Governors passed a resolution formally declaring Tehran non-compliant with its non-proliferation obligations for the first time since 2005.
While addressing the IAEA Board of Governors, Li called on the international community to reject sanctions pressure and military threats, revitalize dialogue based on the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), and build new consensus through mutual respect.
Two decades of navigating this issue prove that political diplomacy succeeds where confrontation fails, Li stated, noting that abandoning agreements exacerbates complications.
At a critical crossroads for the Iranian nuclear issue, the international community must prioritize mutually respectful political engagement and reject coercive measures. The pressing task is for all nations to jointly facilitate dialogue based on the JCPOA framework, discard sanctions and military threats, and build new consensus through negotiation, Li stressed.
The Iranian nuclear issue can only be properly resolved through political and diplomatic efforts and cooperation in safeguards and supervision within the IAEA framework on the premise of fully respecting Iran's right to the peaceful use of nuclear energy, he said.
China calls on the member states of the IAEA to support and facilitate the secretariat to maintain communication with Iran, move towards each other and strengthen cooperation, and jointly oppose acts that create conflicts and confrontations, Li added.
The 35-member IAEA board voted 19-3 with 11 abstentions to adopt the resolution. China, Russia and Burkina Faso voted no.
The resolution will prepare the ground to trigger the snapback mechanism, a clause in a 2015 nuclear deal between Tehran and world powers that would allow the other parties to reimpose all international sanctions if Iran fails to comply with the agreement.
Iran on Thursday vowed to take countermeasures. The Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) on the same day issued directives to launch a new uranium enrichment center in a safe zone and replace the first-generation gas centrifuges at the Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant in the central province of Qom with modern sixth-generation ones.
The Iranian Foreign Ministry and the AEOI issued a joint statement, describing the resolution proposed by the United States and the three European countries of France, Britain and Germany as "lacking technical and legal bases and abusing the board as a tool to achieve their political objectives."
China calls for political solution to Iranian nuclear issue at IAEA meeting
China calls for political solution to Iranian nuclear issue at IAEA meeting
