What was China's role in the Iran nuclear negotiations?

All I see on the internet is that China was part of the P5+1 in negotiating Iran's nuclear program, indicating that China was on West's side in regards to this development. Is this true?

What exactly was China's position regarding this? And has the position changed after US' withdrawal from the JCPOA.

I really did not understand China's logic in dealing with Iran's nuclear program.

This from 2 days ago: West condemns Iran's accelerated production of nuclear material.. but not China.

From a pragmatic standpoint, there are many options that benefit China where Iran doesn't have nukes.

When any country has nukes, they become impervious to serious attacks. If Iran's role was to be bait and infinity tarpit for US, then the optimal Iran is actually a non nuclear but high end missile armed Iran.

However, if Iran isnt going to have a role fighting directly, it doesn't matter anymore if they get nukes or not, and it might be better that they have a few more primitive "secret" nukes, like Israel, in order to balance out Israel.

Imo Iran being able to drop the Muslim infighting was the major litmus test.

Nukes give you more credibility in diplomacy and deters bullying to an extent. When this proliferates, China's organic influence and conventional military superiority is diminished over smaller neighbors. China doesn't want Myanmar, South Korea, even Vietnam to follow suit. In other words, cultivating nuclear Iran just to neutralize US in Middle East will likely trigger unintended negative externalities in China's own backyard, sooner or later. Best is principled stance on non-proliferation.

China doesn't want anyone getting nuclear weapons for obvious reasons.

If not for the current geopolitical situation, and instead US/China were buddies-buddies, I would expect that China would happily sit aside watching US bombing Iran to stop/destroy its nuclear program.

Iran is actually gaining benefits because of the Hegemonic clash that the US triggered, if not for that China would keep siding with the West on its nuclear program.

Look no further than NK for proof, China even agreed on binding UN sanctions against NK for its nuclear program. Nowadays China is a bit more relaxed with enforcing them due to US hegemonic clash.

To conclude, if anyone is interested in obtaining nuclear weapons, the best time is now because after the hegemonic clash concludes, expect that this opportunity to pass for the foreseeable future

Phead128 said:

Nukes give you more credibility in diplomacy and deters bullying to an extent. When this proliferates, China's organic influence and conventional military superiority is diminished over smaller neighbors. China doesn't want Myanmar, South Korea, even Vietnam to follow suit. In other words, cultivating nuclear Iran just to neutralize US in Middle East will likely trigger unintended negative externalities in China's own backyard, sooner or later. Best is principled stance on non-proliferation.

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Overbom said:

China doesn't want anyone getting nuclear weapons for obvious reasons.

If not for the current geopolitical situation, and instead US/China were buddies-buddies, I would expect that China would happily sit aside watching US bombing Iran to stop/destroy its nuclear program.

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But this Chinese doctrine doesn't seem to exist with regards to the Pakistani nuclear program.

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_killuminati_ said:

But this Chinese doctrine doesn't seem to exist with regards to the Pakistani nuclear program.

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US also supports Pakistan despite nuclear weapons, so China cannot afford Pakistan to be exclusively in Western camp, so in Pakistan case, it is principle against nukes in Pakistan, but will not impose sanctions because neither did the US impose sanctions.

Phead128 said:

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US also supports Pakistan despite nuclear weapons, so China cannot afford Pakistan to be exclusively in Western camp, so in Pakistan case, it is principle against nukes in Pakistan, but will not impose sanctions because neither did the US impose sanctions.

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Not to mention India got nukes.

If India didn't get, China wouldn't want nukes in Pakistan as well.

Phead128 said:

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US also supports Pakistan despite nuclear weapons, so China cannot afford Pakistan to be exclusively in Western camp, so in Pakistan case, it is principle against nukes in Pakistan, but will not impose sanctions because neither did the US impose sanctions.

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Pressler was also the sponsor of the Pressler Amendment, which banned most economic and military assistance to Pakistan unless the president certified on an annual basis that

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"Pakistan does not possess a nuclear explosive device and that the proposed United States assistance program will reduce significantly the risk that Pakistan will possess a nuclear explosive device."

This was in 1992, the most notable effect of which was the US refusing to supply the remaining paid-for F-16s. The US also refused to refund the payment, and instead sent surplus soybeans of an equivalent value.

In 1998, when nuclear weapons were publicly tested, the sanctions were increased significantly. They were lifted ~2001 when Pakistan offered NATO a launch base for the Afghan Invasion.

These on and off sanctions go back to the 1970s. But afaik, China was not a part of this.