Red Dragon

After fallouts over Copenhagen, Google, Taiwan and the Dalai Lama, China may stand against the U.S. to oppose economic sanctions against Iran at the U.N. “Preliminary discussions have begun at the UN in New York on a further round of punitive measures aimed at Iranian individuals and institutions linked to the nuclear and missile programmes, and the revolutionary guards who control both. However, a security council resolution is seen as highly unlikely in the near future because of Chinese opposition. Speaking at the same conference in Munich, China’s foreign minister, Yang Jiechi, made clear that China was prepared to stand alone among the permanent members of the security council in opposing sanctions. He insisted Iran had not closed the door on negotiations over the export of its uranium, and called for patience and ‘a more flexible, pragmatic and proactive policy’ towards talks with Tehran. In his remarks Yang said it was time for China’s voice to be listened to with more respect on the world stage. ‘We have one fifth of mankind,’ the foreign minister said. ‘At least we deserve a chance to express our views on how things should be run in the world.'”