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'US uses oil to change China's stance on Iran'
Press
TV
Tuesday, Oct 20th, 2009
The US administration is pressing key Arab states
to export more oil to China to gain Beijing's support for sanctions
on Iran, the Wall Street Journal has reported.
According to an article appearing in the Wall Street Journal
on Tuesday, the initiative aims to lessen China's dependence
on Iranian energy and trim Chinese resistance to tougher sanctions
over Tehran's nuclear program.
The newspaper claims US President Barack Obama hopes to get
Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to boost their oil
exports to China in order to convince Beijing to distance itself
from Tehran both politically and economically.
The Wall Street Journal has quoted unnamed US and Emirati officials
as saying that the UAE has recently agreed, in a move coordinated
with Washington, to boost its oil exports to China to between
150,000 and 200,000 barrels a day, while Saudi Arabia is apparently
prepared to offer China more oil.
Meanwhile, the newspaper says many diplomats and Middle East
analysts are doubtful that the US and the Arab states will succeed
over the long term in breaking Beijing's dependence on Iranian
oil and gas.
The experts argue that Saudi Arabia and the UAE are both obliged
to export oil by quotas established by the Organization of Petroleum
Exporting Countries (OPEC). They question how the two countries
could significantly boost exports to China without surpassing
the set quotas.
Beijing is the second-largest buyer of Iranian oil. The Asian
giant has pledged tens of billions of dollars in new investment
in Iran's oil and gas infrastructure in coming years.
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao scaled down US hopes for broad cooperation
on Iran last week following a meeting last week with Iranian
First Vice President Reza Rahimi.
China is willing "to maintain high-level contacts with
Iran, encourage mutual understanding and confidence, promote
practical cooperation between the two sides and close coordination
in international affairs," Wen said in Beijing on Thursday.
The Islamic Republic has repeatedly rejected Western allegations
that it has a secret nuclear weapons program.
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