China regrets Britain, France, Germany's decision to trigger Iran deal dispute mechanism

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BEIJING - China on Wednesday expressed regret over a decision by Britain, France and Germany to trigger the dispute mechanism in the 2015 Iran nuclear deal.

"This decision will not help solve the issues or ease current tensions," Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Geng Shuang said at a press briefing in Beijing.

France, Britain and Germany announced on Tuesday that they have triggered the dispute mechanism set up in the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) with the hope to preserve the deal and bring Iran back into full compliance with its commitments.

China has always believed that Iran reduced its commitments to the JCPOA due to specific reasons, said Geng.

He said that the United States unilaterally withdrew from the JCPOA, while ignoring international law and its international obligations, imposing maximum pressure on Iran and obstructing other parties in keeping their commitments.

"Such practices are the root cause of current tensions," he said.

The hard-won JCPOA, endorsed and adopted by the UN Security Council, is an important outcome of multilateral diplomacy, an important pillar for the international non-proliferation system and peace and stability in the Middle East, and a significant part of the international order based on international law, Geng said.

China urged all relevant parties to stay calm and exercise restraint, resolve differences through dialogue and consultation within the JCPOA framework, take concrete steps to restore the balance of the rights and obligations of the JCPOA and try their best to safeguard and implement the deal, said Geng.

China will stay in close contact and coordination with relevant parties and make tireless efforts to this end, he added.