China Wants to Work With EU on Iran Nuclear Deal

Beijing is seeking to cooperate with the European Union on a range of issues from the Iran nuclear deal to climate change and trade, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang wrote in a German newspaper ahead of a summit aimed at developing relations.
In a column for the Monday edition of Handelsblatt, Li said China is ready to work closely with Europe in upholding the Paris Climate Agreement, supporting sustainable development, preserving the Iran nuclear accord and fighting terrorism, Reuters reported.
China and three European powers, namely Britain, Germany and France, along with Russia, are the remaining parties to the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers, from which the US withdrew last May.
They are trying to shore up the hard-earned agreement by adopting measures to cushion the impact of sweeping US sanctions on Iran, which were reimposed last year, to ensure Tehran’s economic interests to convince it to remain in the accord.
Diplomats in Brussels believe tensions over trade and investments mean China and the EU may fail to agree a joint declaration at the April 9 summit. That could dent European efforts to gain greater access to Chinese markets.
The Chinese premier denied accusations Beijing is trying to split the bloc by investing in eastern European states.
“We emphatically support the European integration process in the hope of a united and prosperous Europe,” he wrote. 
Li said Beijing’s close cooperation with eastern European states is “advantageous for a balanced development within the EU”.
The EU is China’s largest trading partner. An increase in Chinese takeovers in critical sectors in Europe and an impression in Brussels that Beijing has not kept its promise to stand up for free trade have complicated talks before the summit.