Diplomacy best way to solve crisis: FM

Beijing (China)—China has urged the international community to use diplomacy to solve the Iran nuclear issue rather than resort to UN sanctions.
Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu reiterated the stance of solving the issue through political and diplomatic efforts yesterday, urging relevant parties to continue dialogue.
Jiang made the remarks after French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin reportedly called for the earliest adoption by the UN Security Council of a resolution envisaging sanctions against Iran.
“Any actions taken by the Security Council should be conducive to reaching the goal of a peaceful solution and make room for further diplomatic efforts,” Jiang said in a statement.
She said UN action should help avert the escalation of conflicts, and called on the international community to be committed to diplomacy.
Britain, France, Germany (EU-3), China, Russia and the United States held another informal meeting on Monday in New York over possible UN sanctions on Iran for its failure to suspend nuclear enrichment activities.
Jiang said China appreciated and supported the EU-3’s diplomacy and their efforts to continue contact and talks with Iran.
In response to potential formal multilateral talks on Pyongyang’s nuclear issue on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation (APEC) forum in Hanoi this week, Jiang said she is not aware of such arrangements.
Reports said that the United States and Japan had sought to hold talks among five countries of the Six-Party Talks China, the United States, the Republic of Korea, Russia and Japan.
Jiang said APEC members share common interests and hold similar positions on the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue and are “willing to work together to push forward the early resumption of the talks.”
She said China would submit a report to the Security Council in the coming days on the implementation of the 1718 resolution, which imposes comprehensive sanctions on Pyongyang.
According to Jiang, Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing will hold bilateral talks with his counterparts from Japan, Australia, New Zealand and Canada on Thursday and foreign ministers of the United States, Russia and the Republic of Korea and Peru on Friday on the sidelines of the forum.
Jiang yesterday also rejected Japan’s concern over Chinese gas activities in the East China Sea, saying it was unnecessary as they fall within Chinese territory rather than the disputed area.
Jiang also said that China attached great importance to fighting against climate change and has put in place a series of measures and policies to deal with the issue.
She said China has joined the United Nations framework on climate change and signed more than 50 international agreements on environmental protection.
She called on developed countries that have not yet ratified the Kyoto Protocol to keep their promises to protect the environment.
She said China has made important contributions to reaching the goals of the agreement with large-scale raising of energy efficiency, energy saving and exploration of renewable energy.

—Daily Mail, People’s Daily news exchange item