Source:

October 19, 2010

BEIJING – China insisted on Tuesday it was implementing sanctions against Iran after Washington said it had asked Beijing to look into whether some Chinese firms were evading the restrictions.

“We maintain that all countries should implement on the Iranian nuclear issue in a comprehensive and earnest manner,” foreign ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu told reporters.

“China has always been honest in implementing and fulfilling our international obligations and has taken an active part in diplomatic efforts to solve the issue.”

China is Iran’s closest trading partner and has in the Islamic republic, which Western governments suspect of seeking to develop nuclear weapons capability.

Tehran strongly denies the allegations, but Beijing still voted for a fourth set of UN sanctions against Iran in June over its refusal to freeze uranium enrichment.

The reported late Sunday that the United States believes some Chinese firms are helping Iran to improve its missile technology and develop nuclear weapons, and has asked Beijing to prevent such activity.

spokesman Philip Crowley confirmed on Monday that Washington had provided information to Beijing about individual Chinese companies, “and the Chinese assured us that they will investigate”.

Ma said China had made its “position clear” to the United States, without further elaborating.

Crowley indicated that the concerns were raised by US envoy during meetings in late September with the Chinese in New York and in Beijing.

According to the Post, Einhorn gave his Chinese counterparts a “significant list” of companies and banks that Washington believes are violating UN sanctions against Iran without authorisation from the Chinese government.

US intelligence believes that several Chinese companies have been providing restricted technology and materials to Iran’s military programmes while some Chinese banks were backing these deals, the paper noted.