China's Foreign Ministry said Thursday that imposing sanctions on Iran was not a constructive approach to settle "international disputes," according to a report by state news agency Xinhua.
"To blindly pressure and impose sanctions on Iran are not constructive approaches," the Foreign Ministry spokesman's office said in a reply to the agency. The statement said China hopes relevant parties will take approaches conducive to regional peace and stability, Xinhua reported.
Xinhua had asked for comment on the European Union's agreement Monday to place an embargo on the import of Iranian crude oil and petroleum products from July 1.
China also said earlier that it opposed "unilateral" sanctions after US President Barack Obama signed into law sanctions that cut off access to the US financial system for any company that continues to import Iranian crude.
Washington's move at the end of December came after the US, Britain and Canada said in November they were slapping additional sanctions on Iran, citing evidence that Tehran was pursuing a nuclear program.
