The People’s Daily, the official newspaper of the Chinese Communist Party, condemned US moves to restrict Iran’s oil trade and curb its nuclear program by enforcing sanctions on countries that trade with Iran, Reuters reported. Banks in Japan and 10 EU countries have been given a six-month reprieve after their countries cut purchases of Iranian oil, but China and India still remain at risk from being cut off from the US financial system. The editorial called such unilateral action selfish and misguided, and said that the actions may exacerbate the stand-off over Iran’s nuclear program. Japan, China and India together purchase nearly half of Iran’s crude exports of 2.6 million barrels a day and provide much-needed foreign exchange for Iran. China slashed crude oil imports from Iran by half between December and February due to a contract dispute. It has raised purchases from Saudi Arabia to fill the gap.
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