China’s foreign ministry has said Beijing objects to any imposition of unilateral sanctions against Iran and that the Chinese will not cease trading with the Iranians, Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) reported on June 9.

China still intends to make Iran a major transit corridor for its huge One Belt, One Road project to develop trading routes with modern infrastructure. And the Middle Kingdom, the biggest buyer of Iranian crude oil, remains firmly opposed to the US attempt to wreck the nuclear deal and press Tehran into negotiating a more demanding agreement by imposing heavy sanctions.

Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying reportedly told the news agency that China would “seriously” continue its cooperation with the other remaining nuclear deal signatories to safeguard the nuclear deal with “power and authority.”

She made the remarks on sidelines of the weekend summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), a regional security grouping led by China and Russia where Iran has observer status.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani attended the summit in Qingdao, China, and met with Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping. Speaking on June 9, Rouhani criticised US “unliteralism” in withdrawing from the Iran nuclear deal and said he appreciated efforts by China and Russia to maintain the accord.

“The US efforts to impose its policies on others are expanding as a threat to all. The recent example of such unilateralism and the defiance of the decisions of the international community by the US government is its withdrawal from the JCPOA,” he said, referring to the nuclear agreement by its formal name, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.

The SCO gathering also heard Russian President Vladimir Putin criticise the US decision to exit the JCPOA. He said the decision could “destabilise” the Middle East.

Meanwhile, also on June 9, Iran’s parliamentary speaker Ali Larijani said that it is time for Europe to show it can save the nuclear deal. "This issue must be clear, that Iran's officials will not wait for Europe's endless promises," Larijani told parliament in a televised address.

"The time for negotiations is coming to an end and if Europe considers itself capable of maintaining the nuclear agreement, it must announce its decision explicitly and promptly, as otherwise Iran will take the next steps with regards to nuclear and other issues," he added.