China threatens repercussions for U.S. siding with Israel

By Steven Edwards

And Sheldon Alberts

CanWest News Service

United Nations – The diplomatic divide over the crisis in Lebanon threatened to affect other international crisis Thursday after China expressed anger that the United States “watered down” a United Nations Security Council statement on the deadly Israeli strike on a UN observer mission.

Released after two days of back room negotiations, the statement expressed “shock and distress” at the bombing, but fell short of China’s demand that council members “condemn any deliberate attack against UN personnel.”

The United States also opposed China’s call for the council to demand Israel allow the United Nations to join the Israeli inquiry into the incident.

While a Canadian was among the four observers killed in the Tuesday strike, so too was a serviceman from China, which holds a permanent veto-bearing seat alongside the United States on the Security Council.

It’s there that Washington is also pushing for council action that would curb Iran’s nuclear ambitions.

“On the issue of Iran, not all member states share the same view,” said Wang Guangya, China’s ambassador to the UN.

He said Washington’s opposition to a strong statement on the Israeli strike would have a “negative impact” on the Iran talks.

He also expressed “frustration” that it has taken hours of talks to produce the statement.

“The frustration will definitely affect working relations, somewhat” he said.

China joined by Russia, also a permanent council member, have been reluctant to agree to U.S. led western demands for threatening Iran with sanctions if it does not suspend its uranium enrichment program, which could eventually give Tehran the capability of producing fuel for a nuclear bomb.

But U.S. Ambassador John Bolton has over the past week expressed confidence that both countries, which have trade and political ties with Tehran, were coming around. Bolton was in Washington on Thursday attending Senate confirmation hearings on his possible re-nomination, and Molly Phee, a U.S. deputy political councillor standing in for him, made no comment.

Council members were scheduled to discuss Iran’s nuclear program today but it was uncertain whether the meeting will go ahead.