China denies giving intelligence about Iran to nuclear agency
Report saying Beijing provided IAEA with intelligence linked to Islamic Republic's alleged attempts to produce nuclear arms ' totally groundless and out of ulterior motives', Foreign Ministry spokeswoman says
BEIJING - China dismissed Thursday a news report saying it had provided the International Atomic Energy Agency with intelligence linked to Iran's
alleged attempts to make nuclear arms.
AP Report
Diplomats: China provided IAEA with intelligence on Iran's nuclear program / Associated Press
Despite adamant objection to Western-led efforts against Tehran's pursuit of nuclear power, Beijing officials provide Atomic Agency with intelligence on contested Iranian plans
China opposes harsh UN Security Council sanctions against Iran and has consistently watered down a US-led push to impose severe penalties on Tehran for its nuclear defiance since the first set of sanctions was passed in late 2006.
The Associated Press report published Wednesday was "totally groundless and out of ulterior motives," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu said. She did not give further details.
Jiang restated China's position on the Iran nuclear issue: That it should be resolved peacefully through dialogue. Parties should "fully exert creativity and show flexibility and proactively seek a proper ... Resolution of the issue," she said.
A Chinese decision to provide information for use in the IAEA's attempts to probe Iran's purported nuclear weapons program would appear to reflect growing international unease over the Islamic republic's contention that it has never tried to make such arms.
The news story was published after two senior diplomats who closely follow the IAEA investigation of Iran's nuclear program told AP that China gave information about Iran to the nuclear agency. The diplomats requested anonymity because their information was confidential.
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