'China's economy needs to import Iranian crude oil'
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Tehran Times - 01 July, 2012
http://gitm.kcorp.net/index.php?id=607197&news_type=Economy&lang=en

China's import of crude oil from Iran through normal channels is to meet the
needs of its economic development, Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said,
adding that the import "is completely legitimate and justified".

China is always against one country's unilateral sanctions on another
country, according to its domestic law. It is even less acceptable for such
unilateral sanctions to be imposed on a third country.”

China has once again reiterated its strong opposition to the U.S.-engineered
unilateral oil embargoes against Iran, describing its oil imports from the
Islamic Republic as “legitimate and justified.”

"China is always against one country's unilateral sanctions on another
country, according to its domestic law. It is even less acceptable for such
unilateral sanctions to be imposed on a third country," said Hong Lei, a
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman, on Friday.

The remarks by Hong come a day after U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton
announced the US’ decision to exempt China from Washington’s unilateral
sanctions on oil trade with Tehran, falsely claiming that Beijing had
reduced oil purchases from Iran.

The allegation by the U.S. official came despite the fact that China, which
is one of the largest crude importers from Iran, actually increased its oil
purchases from the Islamic Republic by 34.5 percent in May in comparison
with the previous months, according to China’s customs data.

The U.S. administration in late March approved new sanctions on the Iranian
crude oil sector, which aim to penalize other countries for buying or
selling the Iranian oil. The sanctions were scheduled to take effect on June
28.

On January 23, under pressure from the United States, the European Union
foreign ministers also approved new sanctions against Tehran. The sanctions
will come into force as of July 1.

Hong emphasized that China will go on with importing the Iranian oil through
normal channels to meet its economic development demands, adding that crude
purchase from Iran “is completely legitimate and justified”.

"This does not violate any UN Security Council resolutions or undermine the
interests of a third party or the international community," said Hong.

The sanctions by the U.S. and EU aim to put pressure on the Islamic Republic
over its nuclear energy program, which Washington, Israel and some of their
allies claim includes a military aspect.

Iran dismisses such allegations, arguing that, as a committed signatory to
the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and a member of the International
Atomic Energy Agency, it has the right to use the nuclear technology for
peaceful purposes