BEIJING - China's energy cooperation with Iran has nothing to do with Iran's nuclear issue, and will not impair the interests of other countries or the international community, a senior diplomat said on Wednesday.

Like many other countries, China maintains normal cooperation with Iran in energy, economics and trade, which does not violate any of the four resolutions adopted by the UN Security Council, Li Song, deputy director-general of the Department of Arms Control of the Foreign Ministry, said during an online interview.

"In terms of international law, only resolutions adopted by the UN Security Council on Iran's nuclear issue have binding power over UN member states," Li said.

"Unilateral sanctions by Western countries do not have the nature of international law."

The US last month signed into law new sanctions against Iran over Teheran's nuclear program, and last week sanctioned a Chinese company for allegedly selling refined petroleum products to Iran. The European Union is also considering an embargo on imports of Iranian crude oil.

The Foreign Ministry has voiced its "strong dissatisfaction and firm opposition" to the US sanctions imposed on China's state-run Zhuhai Zhenrong Corp.

"We firmly oppose the high-handed practices of some countries to harm other countries' interests through unilateral sanctions," Li said.

"Directing the sanctions to Iran's energy and financial sectors will affect people's livelihoods in Iran, and also disturb and affect many countries' normal energy, economic and trade cooperation with Iran," Li said.

"We do not want the normal cooperation between China and Iran, which does not involve the nuclear issue, to be affected because of this," Li said. "In fact, many countries have this concern."

China does not support the beefing up of unilateral sanctions against Iran, because it will intensify confrontation between Iran and Western countries, which is not conducive to the international community's efforts to mediate and promote negotiations, he said.

As the Gulf situation intensifies after Iran threatened to block the strategic Strait of Hormuz, which the US said could be met with a harsh response, Li said it is China's most basic attitude that the Iranian nuclear issue can only be solved through dialogue and negotiations.

"Military action would have a disastrous effect on the peace and stability of the Middle East," Li said.

"Once a war takes place in the region, not only will countries in the region be affected and impacted, world energy security and the world economy will suffer a deadly blow," he added.

Experts also warned that military strikes against Iran's nuclear facilities would trigger a severe environmental disaster, according to Li.

Li said that diplomatic efforts to promote dialogue and talks have never ceased, and China has been actively playing a mediating role.

"To my knowledge, relevant parties are all considering the issue of resuming dialogue, and are exchanging opinions about the arrangements at the diplomatic level," Li said. "Just this week, the parties concerned have actively contacted each other."

Senior UN nuclear officials will visit Iran from Jan 29 to 31, Iran's envoy to the International Atomic Energy Agency was quoted by Reuters as saying on Tuesday.

China Daily