President Shimon Peres met with Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi in his Jerusalem office on Thursday. Peres urged Jiechi to do what he could to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons.
China can play a “central role” in stopping Iran's nuclear program, Peres said. He termed Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad a “religious fanatic leader who supports terror, war, and bloodshed.”
Iran's attempts to develop long-range missiles should worry all responsible members of the international community, Peres added.
Jiechi assured Peres that, unlike Ahmadinejad, China is aware that “the Holocaust of the Jews is an undeniable and unassailable fact.” During his childhood in Shanghai, Holocaust refugees were among his neighbors, Jiechi recalled.
Jews and Chinese have historically helped each other, he added.
Jiechi expressed support for Israel's right to defend itself. He also expressed support for the principal of “land for peace” and the creation of a Palestinian Authority-led Arab state.
Israel should talk with Syria and Lebanon a well as the PA, Jiechi said. He expressed hope that Israel would make “sensible decisions that lead to peace and stability in the area.”
China is one of the top importers of Iranian oil and natural gas, and has been reluctant to join the international community in condemning Iran's nuclear program. Israel hopes to convince China that opposing Iran's nuclear program now will help to avert a conflict that could jeprodize the country's oil supply.