A senior Israeli minister yesterday met Chinese officials for talks expected to focus on winning Beijing’s support for tougher sanctions against Iran over its controversial nuclear program.
The visit by the high-level Israeli delegation comes as Beijing, a close ally of Iran with oil interests in the Islamic republic, has come under increased pressure to agree to punitive measures against Tehran.
China has so far been reluctant to back such a move, and has repeatedly said there was still time for more talks to resolve the standoff over Iran’s atomic program, which the West says is a covert weapons drive.
Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Moshe Yaalon held talks with Chinese State Councilor Dai Bingguo as he wrapped up a two-day visit, said Guy Kivetz, a spokesman for the Israeli embassy.
“They’re going to discuss key issues — bilateral, regional, international — of mutual concern to both countries, among them the Iranian situation,” he said, declining to provide further details about the talks.
The Israeli delegation also includes central bank chief Stanley Fischer. Iran has so far failed to take up a nuclear fuel swap offer from the UN nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, under which Russia would enrich its uranium and France would process it.
Tehran says its atomic program is solely for civilian energy purposes. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton this week urged the UN Security Council to move on new sanctions within 60 days.
The US is working with Britain, China, France, Russia and Germany to try to halt Iran’s uranium enrichment program.
Beijing now appears to be the sole holdout on sanctions among the five permanent veto-wielding members of the UN Security Council, after Russia called on Thursday for “responsible behavior” from Iran, signaling its impatience.
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