Reading The Riot Act To China On Iran

Premier Wen Jiabao greets US President Barack Obama before a meeting in Beijing.
[Wu Zhiyi/China Daily]

From The Washington Post:

Before Obama's visit, NSC warned leaders of Mideast turmoil.

Two weeks before President Obama visited China, two senior White House officials traveled to Beijing on a "special mission" to try to persuade China to pressure Iran to give up its alleged nuclear weapons program.

If Beijing did not help the United States on this issue, the consequences could be severe, the visitors, Dennis Ross and Jeffrey Bader, both senior officials in the National Security Council, informed the Chinese.

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My Comment: The Chinese have committed to invest $120 billion into Iran's oil industry. U.S threats notwithstanding, they see little downside if they should ignore U.S. pressure to call for sanctions on Iran. Even if Israel should launch an attack on Iran's nuclear infrastructure .... the Iranians will still need to sell their oil to someone, and the Chinese would be more than happy to buy it. As for nuclear proliferation .... that is a problem that is secondary to the need for oil.