China Hopes All JCPOA Participants To Continue To Fulfill Obligations - Foreign Ministry

BEIJING (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 15th November, 2018) China praises the efforts made by Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to implement the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and expects that all the parties will continue to meet their commitments, the Chinese Foreign Ministry's spokeswoman said Wednesday.

"China has noted the latest report submitted by the Director General of the IAEA. This is for the 13th time in a row that the IAEA Director General has confirmed Iran's compliance with its nuclear-related obligations under the JCPOA since it took effect in 2016 ... China welcomes that and commends the efforts made by the Iranian side and the IAEA," Hua Chunying said at a briefing.

Hua expressed hope that all the participants would continue to implement the JCPOA which is in the interest of the international community.

"Under the current circumstances, we hope that all relevant parties could bear in mind the whole and long-term picture, fulfill respective duties and obligations, and continue to uphold and implement the JCPOA, since this serves the common interests of the international community," she said.

In September 2018, the IAEA reconfirmed that Iran was implementing its nuclear-related commitments under the JCPOA.

In May, US President Donald Trump announced that the United States would withdraw from the Iranian nuclear deal, signed in 2015, and reimpose its sanctions against Iran that had been lifted under the agreement. The first round of the US restrictions entered into force on August 7 and the main ones were imposed on November 5.

The other signatories to the nuclear deal - Russia, China, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, and the European Union - did not support the US decision and reiterated their commitment to the JCPOA.