China sending official to Iran for nuclear talks

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A Chinese vice minister will fly to Tehran on Friday to discuss ways of defusing the international crisis over Iran's nuclear programme, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman said on Thursday. Vice Foreign Minister Lu Guozeng's three-day visit would focus on Iran's nuclear programme, Liu Jianchao told a press briefing in Beijing.

The two-way talks will take place just over a week before the United Nations' nuclear watchdog meets to discuss
Iran. "China will explore with Iran how to ease the crisis under present circumstances and how to take practical measures to stop the problem from worsening," Liu said. Lu's area of expertise is the Middle East and North Africa.

On Wednesday, Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing appealed to the international community to be patient and flexible in the hope that Iran and the three European powers who have led past negotiations -- Britain, France and Germany -- can restart talks. "The days before the March 6 meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) are crucial," Xinhua news agency quoted Li as saying after meeting visiting German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier.

The German minister said he welcomed China's role. "I want expressly to say that we are pleased that there are signals that China is prepared to assume global responsibility," Steinmeier told a seminar in Beijing.

http://www.swissinfo.org/sen/swissinfo.html?siteSect=143&sid=6496189&cKey=1140689134000

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1. Like sharks circling the waters....

As the sharks move in, they should be aware that Iran is no pushover. Because they have been maligned in the press, maybe some people believe they will hurry up and sign some deals or concede just to get the world off their back.

I don't think so. The Iranians made it clear they would look over the deal with Russia, but they have not committed to anything.

As far as Steinmeier saying "we are pleased that China is prepared to assume global responsibility", that was a stupid statement. Does he not realize China is a communist nation, or is he just naive?