China hopes Iran nuclear deal 'fully implemented': FM

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China hopes to work with the Iranian side to eliminate complicated disturbing factors and make efforts for the full implementation of the Iran nuclear deal, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Friday.

Wang made the remarks when meeting with visiting Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif.

"China firmly opposes unilateral sanctions and the so-called 'long-arm jurisdiction' imposed by the United States on Iran," Wang said, pledging to maintain the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, also known as the Iran nuclear deal, and safeguard the authority of the United Nations and basic norms governing international relations.

Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi meets with visiting Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif in Beijing, capital of China, May 17, 2019. /Xinhua Photo

China welcomes Iran to actively take part in the joint building of the Belt and Road and hopes to strengthen mutually beneficial cooperation, Wang said.

Zarif praised China for its important role in defending the Iran nuclear deal and vowed to strengthen bilateral and multilateral coordination so as to safeguard multilateralism and common interests of the two countries.

The international community and remaining signatories of Iran's nuclear deal should act to save the accord as "supportive statements" are not enough, Zarif told state media Friday during a visit to Japan and China.

Last week, Iran notified the five remaining signatories that it would scale back some commitments under its 2015 nuclear deal, a year after Washington left the pact and reimposed sanctions on Tehran. Tehran has asked the other signatories to help protect its economy from U.S. sanctions.

"Safeguarding the (nuclear accord) is possible through practical measures, and not only through supportive statements," Zarif was quoted as saying by the state news agency IRNA.

A handout picture provided by the office of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei shows President Hassan Rouhani speaking during a government meeting in the capital Tehran, May 14, 2019. /VCG Photo

"If the international community feels that this (nuclear) accord is a valuable achievement, then it should take practical steps just like Iran does," Zarif said on Iranian state television. "The meaning of practical steps is fully clear: Iran's economic relations should be normalized."

Earlier Thursday, the United Nations also expressed concerns over the volatility of the situation, calling for "maximum restraint" from all parties amid heightened tensions between Iran, the United States and countries in the Gulf region.

(With inputs from Reuters)

(Cover: Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi (R) meets with visiting Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif in Beijing, China, May 17, 2019. /Xinhua Photo)

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