China offers to help rein in Iran: US congressmen

[UpInArms]

http://today.reuters.com/PrinterFriendlyPopup.aspx?type=politicsNews&storyID=uri:2006-01-11T141356Z_01_DIT149825_RTRUKOC_0_US-CHINA-USA-IRAN.xml

BEIJING (Reuters) - China has offered to help rein in Iran's nuclear ambitions and ease U.S. complaints about pirated goods ahead of a Washington visit by President Hu Jintao expected in mid-April, visiting U.S. congressmen said on Wednesday.

The chairman of China's National People's Congress, Wu Bangguo, told the congressmen China "agreed that they (Iran) should not have nuclear weapons, and agreed to working with the United States and especially the EU3" on Iran, Mark Kirk, a Republican Congressman from Illinois, told reporters.

Wu is a member of the nine-member Communist Party Standing Committee that makes the country's key decisions. The EU3 refers to Britain, France and Germany, which steer EU policy on Iran's nuclear programme.

<snip>

China's more open pressure on Iran comes as Washington prepares to host Hu Jintao after a visit scheduled for September was canceled when Hurricane Katrina struck the United States.

...more...

[Loonman]

1. Good

The Chinese are very persuasive, they've kept a lid on Kim, as well.

[FloridaPat]

2. But China's on Iran's side. Smells fishy.

[Pavulon]

4. China is on China's side(nt)

[Pavulon]

5. delete

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

6. Not exactly.

China is on China's side. China wants Iran's oil. For that, it needs a stable Iran, not a smoldering heap of rubble. Thus, it is in China's interest to avoid any sort of military conflict or debilitating sanctions against Iran.

[Pavulon]

7. China wants oil.

China could give a shit about Iran or the US. Oil is a commodity freely traded. China is also interested in the billions we pour into their economy.

China has no interest in a war, they are like every nation concerned with their interests first.

[hadrons]

3. China: "we'll help HIDE the program better"

[Earth_First]

8. There's a novel idea...

Something tells me, however, that this option will be gravely overlooked upon as suspicious and thusly tabled quickly. I'm not attempting to paint China as the uber progressive bargaining chip on the table, but if it averts the catastrophe that seems almost imminent, I'm all for working to wards a solution with whomever is willing to negotiate a resolution.

[EuroObserver]

9. kick n/t

[Tight_rope]

10. Why do I smell a world war approaching!