China has dealt a blow to Western efforts to increase pressure on Iran over its nuclear programme by dropping out of a meeting to discuss tougher sanctions against Tehran.

The move coincides with Russia’s announcement yesterday that the UN nuclear watchdog would soon start inspecting and sealing atomic fuel bound for an Iranian reactor. Russia, like China, opposes further United Nations sanctions against Iran.

Representatives from Britain, France, Germany, the United States, Russia and China were due to meet on November 19 to assess reports about Tehran’s nuclear programme from the United Nations and from the EU’s foreign policy chief, Javier Solana.

“I think it’s partly related to genuine travel difficulties, but also linked to resistance on the broader question of sanctions from that quarter,” a diplomatic source said.

The United States said on Thursday that it would work with its allies for a new round of UN sanctions against Iran. But some European diplomats said that it may not be possible to persuade Russia and China – which have vetoes in the Security Council – to support the move. France is pushing for the EU to impose its own sanctions. Russia’s state-owned nuclear fuel producer, TVEL, said that on November 26 inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) would start looking at a shipment of nuclear fuel bound for Iran. (Reuters)

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