China regrets US decision to withdraw from Iran nuclear deal

BEIJING: China regrets the decision made by the United States to withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal, the Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said on Wednesday.

Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Geng Shuang said that the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) is a multilateral agreement reached by the P5+1, the European Union and Iran through negotiations and endorsed by the UN Security Council Resolution 2231.

He said that ensuring the integrity and sanctity of the JCPOA is conducive to upholding the international non-proliferation regime and promoting peace and stability in the Middle East.

“All relevant parties should step up dialogue and coordination, properly handle differences and continue fulfilling their obligations in a faithful manner,” he added.

Geng further said that China urges all parties to proceed in the long-term and overall situation in a responsible manner, persist in the direction of political diplomacy, properly manage their differences, and return as soon as possible to the correct track of continuing to implement the comprehensive agreement.

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“China will maintain an objective, fair and responsible attitude to maintain dialogues and consultations with all parties and stay committed to upholding and implementing the comprehensive agreement," he stated.

According to the spokesperson, China and Iran have always maintained normal economic and trade exchanges. China will continue to conduct normal and transparent pragmatic cooperation with Iran without violating its international commitments, he stated further.

Geng also appreciated the positive statement from Iranian President Hassan Rouhani that Iran is not going to withdraw from the JCPOA from other remaining participants.