China sees positive signs in US-Iran diplomacy effort

Relieved at the scaling down of US-Iran tensions, China today said it sees telephone talks between President Barack Obama and his Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani as a positive development for peace in the Middle East.
"We have noticed the effort that both the United States and Iran have recently made to improve their relationship,", Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei told a media briefing here.
Obama and Rouhani had a phone conversation on Friday, which was the first talk between the two countries' heads of state since the outbreak of the Tehran hostage crisis following the Iranian Revolution, over 30 years ago.

Observers say that energy-hungry China, which sources substantial oil supplies from Iran and often threw its weight behind Tehran in the past, believes easing of tension could positively reflect on efforts to address the sanctions regime against Iran.
Hong said the recent development in US-Iran relations was conducive to advancing the political process for settling the crisis over Iran's controversial nuclear programme and other hot-spot issues.
"This is positive for maintaining and promoting regional peace and stability," Hong said.
China has a firm stance on a peaceful settlement to the Iranian nuclear issue through dialogue and is part of the international dialogue with Iran, which also includes Britain, France, Russia, the United States and Germany, Hong said.

"We have played a constructive role in seeking a comprehensive, lasting and appropriate solution to the Iranian nuclear issue so as to uphold the international nonproliferation regime and peace and stability in the Middle East," Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi had said at the general debate of the UN General Assembly on Friday.