In an effort to gain wide-spread support for upcoming sanctions against Iran, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has appealed directly to the Chinese government. The proposed sanctions are intended to deter Iran from pursuing nuclear weapons technology. Secretary Clinton’s recent statements were the most direct public appeal by the United States to China for support on the matter so far.
China has so far resisted support for the sanctions, largely because of the country’s increasing dependence on oil imports from Iran. In her statements, Secretary Clinton recognized China’s need for oil to support its growing economy, but urged China to consider the long term threats posed by a nuclear Iran. Without sanctions, Clinton argued, a nuclear-armed Iran would spark a new arms race in the region, with Israel in particular feeling the threat from a destabilized region. The Chinese government has so far not reacted to the new appeal by the United States.
Read more at the Washington Post
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