Iran-China Strong Ties Concern US

Islam Times: In a Tuesday meeting with Li Changchun, a senior official of the Communist Party of China (CPC), called for "convergent" Iranian-Chinese policies in the face of the "common enemy of imperialism."

Ahmadinejad said greater cooperation would "prevent the enemies from creating obstacles in the way of the development of the two countries." "The imperialist system, which is the common enemy of Iran and China, is against the development of the two countries," the president's official website quoted him as saying, according to Press TV.

"Our relations are an emphasis on Iran and China's convergent policies in the face of the enemies' extremism," he added.

The senior Chinese official, for his part, expressed his country's strong opposition to Iran sanctions, reiterating Beijing's support for diplomacy on Tehran's nuclear issue.

"China is strongly against unilateral sanctions and pressure [exerted] by Western countries and the United States on Iran over its nuclear case," he went on to say.

Li criticized America's dual policies on international issues, noting that the US and certain other countries use military power to impose their hegemonic approaches, Fars news agency reported. He emphasized the importance of adopting appropriate strategies to counter such measures.

The Chinese official also said the two countries should deepen trade and economic relations and implement agreements and contracts already signed between the two countries.

China has also strengthened its ties with Russia signing on Monday a spate of political and commercial agreements in a bid to strengthen their strategic partnership and cooperation. Both countries were yesterday celebrating the completion of a long-awaited China-Russia oil pipeline, the largest bilateral project between the two countries.

In a related development, two senior US senators urged Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Tuesday that the US should punish Chinese and Turkish firms reportedly providing Iran with refined petroleum products.

Democratic Senator Chuck Schumer and Republican Senator Jon Kyl, his party's number-two leader in the chamber, called on Clinton in a letter to promptly enforce a US law aimed at denying Iran access to world gasoline markets.

US lawmakers have bitterly complained that Chinese firms have taken the place of European rivals leaving the Iranian market, undermining international sanctions aimed at halting Tehran's nuclear program.

Washington should also tighten the financial noose on Iran by imposing sanctions on its central bank and taking steps "to ensure Iranian banks are not able to participate in the international banking system," they said.

“The Obama administration should also move to deny US government contracts to firms that exports communications jamming or monitoring technology to Iran,” they added.