Washington has told China to stop taking advantage of the UN sanctions regime against Iran by seizing opportunities left by departing European companies.
China last month condemned moves by the European Union to ratchet up sanctions against Tehran's nuclear programme by hitting transport, energy and finance. Iran is the third biggest oil supplier to China, and Beijing is investing heavily in the Islamic republic's energy fields and refineries.
“We want China to be a responsible stakeholder in the international system and that means co-operating with UN Security Council resolutions,” Robert Einhorn, US special adviser for non-proliferation and arms control, said yesterday on a trip to Seoul. “It means not backfilling, not taking advantage of the responsible self- restraint of other countries.”