Q: The United States on Monday imposed sanctions on nine people close to General Staff of Iran's Armed Forces and the supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, including one of his sons. I wonder if China has any comment?

A:China opposes unilateral sanctions and so-called "long-arm jurisdiction". Arbitrary sanctions or threat of sanction cannot solve problems. The key is dialogue and negotiation. Following the principle of equality and mutual respect, we hope relevant parties will resolve disputes through dialogue and consultation and jointly uphold peace and stability of the region and beyond.

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Q: Ali Akbar Salehi, head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, said on November 4 that Iran launched the cascade of 30 IR-6 centrifuges, and the country is now operating 60 IR-6 advanced centrifuges. In the meantime, Iranian scientists are working on a prototype called the IR-9. On the same day, EU and German officials called on Iran to exercise restraint and observe the JCPOA. I wonder if you have any comment?

A: I noted relevant reports. As we repeatedly pointed out, the root cause of sustained tensions around the Iranian nuclear issue lies with the US unilateral withdrawal from the JCPOA and its maximum pressure campaign against Iran.

As the Chinese saying goes, "to undo a knot, no one is more suited than the person who tied it." To relieve the current crisis, the US needs to abandon the wrong strategies such as unilateral sanctions and maximum pressure. In the meantime, Iran and all other parties to the JCPOA need to exercise restraint, implement the deal effectively and in full, and stick to the JCPOA framework to resolve disputes.

We urge the relevant sides to move toward the same direction, make greater diplomatic efforts and work for de-escalation. China will continue to work with other parties towards this end.

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