China says DPRK crisis shows importance of Iran nuclear deal

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The recent tensions on the Korean Peninsula underlined the importance of the Iranian nuclear deal, and China supports and safeguards the landmark agreement, said Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Wednesday.

Wang made the remarks in a meeting at the United Nations in New York between the foreign ministers of Iran and the six world powers that negotiated the deal.

The agreement is a beneficial practice of solving a sticking point through political and diplomatic means, Wang said, adding that the recent development of the situation on the Korean Peninsula demonstrates the significance of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which was reached between Iran and the six world powers of Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States in 2015.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi speaks during a meeting of the Security Council to discuss peacekeeping operations during the 72nd United Nations General Assembly at UN headquarters in New York, US, on September 20, 2017. /Reuters Photo

The JCPOA is important for international security governance as it has helped defuse the Iran nuclear crisis and has bolstered the international non-proliferation regime with the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons as its bedrock, said Wang.

After the conclusion of the agreement, its implementation made headway and also faced severe challenges, said Wang. He expressed the hope that Wednesday's meeting will send out a positive message of support for the JCPOA, thus promoting its implementation.

Wang said all parties should look at the positive side of the JCPOA as no agreement is perfect. Should the agreement be discarded, the international non-proliferation regime would be severely impacted and the situation in the Middle East might worsen, he told the meeting.

He expressed the hope that all parties would make the right political judgment and create favorable conditions for the implementation of the agreement.

He also urged related parties to take up their obligations in order to ensure the effective implementation of the deal and solve their differences through dialogue.

China supports the JCPOA and is willing to work to preserve it, said Wang. China is ready to continue its participation in the implementation process, he said.

The JCPOA faces the risk of collapse amid a fallout between Washington and Tehran.

In his speech to the UN General Assembly on Tuesday, US President Donald Trump described the JCPOA as "an embarrassment."

Iran's President Hassan Rouhani delivers remarks at a news conference during the United Nations General Assembly in New York City, US, on September 20, 2017. /Reuters Photo

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said Wednesday that his country will not be the first to violate the agreement, but will respond "decisively and resolutely" to its violation by any party.

"It will be a great pity if this agreement were to be destroyed by rogue newcomers to the world of politics," Rouhani told the UN General Assembly, in obvious response to Trump's attack the day earlier.

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Source(s): Reuters ,Xinhua News Agency