Without China, sanctions against Iran won’t work

The United States, France, Britain and Russia have issued stern warnings to Iran of harsh economic sanctions if the Islamic Republic does not come clean on its nuclear ambitions.

But unless China, which is a veto-wielding member of the United Nations Security Council like the other four, lends its support to tough actions, the results will be minimal.

China, a growing economic, military and diplomatic world power, has deep trading ties with Iran. That relationship was evident over the weekend when the Chinese officials told reporters at the G-20 economic summit in Pittsburgh that “dialogue and negotiation” are the preferred method of getting the Iranians to cooperate.

The issue of Iran’s nuclear intentions has taken on new urgency with the public revelation that the country, actually run by Islamic clerics, has a secret nuclear facility in the religious city of Qom.

The U.S., France, Britain and Russia have demanded full disclosure of all information pertaining to the facility, which is inside a military complex, and also wants Iran to agree to unfettered inspections by the international atomic agency.

The civilian government in Tehran, led by Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, and Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei have long contended that the development of nuclear capability is for the production of electricity only.

The protestation has been met with a healthy dose of cynicism in the western world. And rightfully so.

On Monday, Iran successfully tested upgraded versions of the medium-range Shahab-3 and Sajjil missiles. Both can carry warheads and reach up to 1,200 miles (2,000 kilometers), putting Israel, U.S. military bases in the Middle East, and parts of Europe within striking distance. On Sunday, the Iranians test-fired short-range missiles.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was unequivocal in her warning Sunday to Iran:

“If we don’t get the answers that we are expecting and the changes in behavior that we’re looking for, then we will work with our partners to move toward sanctions.”

Meaningless assertions

She pointed out that assertions from Tehran about their intentions are meaningless. The proof is in the showing.

“They can’t say anything because they’ve said that for years, but they can open their entire system to the kind of extensive investigation that the facts call for,” the secretary of state said.

The Obama administration has said it wants the unrestricted on-site investigation to occur within the next few weeks, or else it will move for wide-ranging economic sanctions.

But as has already been shown in Iran and other nations that have been the target of U.N. sanctions, the effectiveness depends on all industrialized nations signing on.

China, which provides a significant amount to gasoline to Iran, must be persuaded to take a hard line. Otherwise, the Iranians will remain intransigent.

The Islamic nation is vulnerable to economic pressures because its economy is sputtering and the recent national elections have revealed deep divisions within the country. The time is ripe to get the government to come clean on its nuclear ambitions.

Diplomats from the U.S., Britain, France, Russia, China, Germany and Iran are scheduled to meet Thursday in Geneva. The members of the Security Council and Germany must speak with one voice about the danger to world peace and stability Iran’s nuclear weapons capability poses.