Sputnik- Iran has won support from China in the face of possible new American sanctions against Tehran. This was one of the main results of Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif�s trip to Asia which ended on December 8. On December 3-8, the diplomat visited India, China and Japan, the three largest buyers of Iranian crude.

On Thursday, during�a press conference in�Tokyo, Zarif said that the United States and the rest of�the international community should respect the final agreement on�the Iranian nuclear program. He noted that sanctions against�Iran did not work and new sanctions would also be counterproductive.

Earlier, during�his visit in�China, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told Zarif that the terms of�the agreement between�Iran and six powers should be observed by�all parties. The statement was made after�US Congress passed a bill to�extend sanctions against�Tehran for�10 years.

The document was submitted for�signature to�President Barack Obama. The American president is expected to�sign the bill before�his presidential term expires on�January 20. If Obama signs the bill into�effect this will be a heavy blow to�Iran�s economic relations with�the international community, according to�Irina Fedorova, an expert at�the Institute for�Eastern Studies at�the Russian Academy of�Sciences. "Now, the new possible American sanctions against�Iran are in�the spotlight.

There concerns that on�expectations of�new sanctions Western companies will not increase trade and economic partnership with�Iran. The same is for�Chinese firms. But China can bypass those restrictions," Fedorova told Sputnik Chinese.

During a meeting in�Beijing, representatives of�China and Iran reaffirmed their readiness to�expand economic cooperation, investment and banking activities.

China�s Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli told Zarif that China is interested in�cooperation with�Iran within�the framework of�the New Silk Road infrastructure project. According to�Gaoli, after�the visit by�Chinese leader Xi Jinping to�Iran in�January, strategic partnership between�the two countries reached a new level. In some ways, Beijing�s rhetoric on�the issue is anti-American, said Ji Kaiyun, an expert at�the Center for�Iranian Studies at�the Chinese Southwest University.

"Changes in�the US and the tendencies that have emerged after�Donald Trump�s win in�the US election make more serious the standoff between�Washington and Tehran. But Iran has experience in�protecting its right at�the international level. When pressure from�the US mounted Iran could always find support from�China. I hope that further contacts with�China will help Iran ease pressure from�the US," Ji Kaiyun pointed out. He also suggested that ties between�Beijing and Tehran may evolve to�the level of�the closest allies.

At the press conference in�Tokyo, Zarif underscored that possible new sanctions would damage Iran but�will not break the country.

Currently, Iran�s economic strategy is to�reach the pre-sanction export volume and Tehran places bets first of�all on�China, India, Japan and South Korea, the main importers of�Iranian crude.� Probable, Zarif�s trip to�Asia was in�particular aimed at�receiving guarantees that the mentioned-above countries will continue to�develop economic ties with�Iran, despite�political tensions. In September, Iran increased crude exports to�China, India, Japan and South Korea by�73 percent against�the same period last year.

This year, Japan increased imports of�Iranian oil by�80 percent than�a year ago. India and South Korea increased imports of�Iranian crude two times. Iranian crude exports to�China grew by�18 percent. New possible US sanctions against�Iran are unlikely to�prevent Iran from�exporting crude to�those countries, but�they will definitely affect the stability of�oil incomes. Currently, Iran sees a shortage in�resources and technologies needed to�modernize the national oil and gas industry. Zarif�s visits to�India, China and Japan were also aimed to�make clear the role of�each of�those countries in�the Iranian national energy strategy.