Sputnik - Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has affirmed China's support for the Iranian nuclear deal during a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the Chinese Foreign Ministry's Department of West Asian and North African Affairs Director-General Deng Li said Monday.





BEIJIN (Sputnik)�� Netanyahu is currently leading a large business delegation to�the Chinese capital aiming to�promote economic ties and technological cooperation. The Israeli leader previously stated he would also like�to discuss urgent global issues, including the Middle East.
"The sides also discussed the Iranian issue. China's position on�the matter is very clear. We think that it is necessary to�observe the comprehensive nuclear agreement reached with�Iran, and that it is necessary to�uphold the international non-proliferation regime," Deng told reporters after�a meeting between�prime ministers of�China and Israel.


China also considers the Joint Comprehensive Plan of�Action (JCPOA) between�Iran and the P5+1 group of�countries to�be a guarantee of�peace and stability in�the region, the diplomat added.

China's support for�the Iran deal comes amid�harsher rhetoric from�the new US administration. In February, US President Donald Trump said during�his first meeting with�Netanyahu that he was planning fresh anti-Iran measures as�the country posed a threat to�Israeli and US security. Trump had previously criticized the JCPOA as�a bad deal, while Iran responded stating it could not be renegotiated and affirmed its commitment to�peaceful nuclear energy. Trump's administration has already tightened sanctions against�Iran over�the country's ballistic missile launches.

On July 14, 2015, Iran and the P5+1 group of�countries, comprising Russia, China, the United Kingdom, the United States, France and Germany, signed the JCPOA to�ensure the peaceful nature of�Iran�s nuclear program. Under this agreement, Iran stated that it would not further seek to�develop or acquire nuclear weapons in�exchange for�the gradual lifting of�international sanctions.