China Unmoved on Iran Sanctions

China maintains that they are not shifting their position despite White House claims that they have become more open to sanctions in Iran. A spokesperson for the Chinese foreign ministry says that "China has always believed that sanctions and pressure cannot fundamentally resolve the issue". China "upholds its consistent stance on the Iran nuclear issue." Beijing opposes Iran gaining nuclear weapons, rather they support a "dual track strategy," combining negotiations with pressure. The sanctions are aimed at dissuading Iran from proceeding with a nuclear program that many world powers believed is aimed at developing a nuclear weapon. Iran insists it wants nuclear power only for peaceful purposes. The Obama administration along with the Bush administration have struggled to get commitments from China and Russia in its campaign to keep Iran from gaining nuclear weapons. The US has repeatedly claimed progress in winning these nations support only to see them go in a different direction just days later. The Obama administration insists that there is no contradiction between the continuing diplomatic efforts.A senior Obama official said today "We believe a sanctions resolution is the best way to get back to dialogue and negotiations at some stage."

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/wire/sns-dc-china-iran,0,293638.story