The World : China Shuns Iran Embargo

China reportedly has told the United States that it would not support an international arms embargo against Iran following the clashes last week in the Persian Gulf between American and Iranian forces. Winston Lord, the U.S. ambassador in Beijing, discussed the issue with Chinese authorities, U.S. officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity. The Chinese did not say outright, however, that they would veto an arms embargo, one official added. The United States has been pushing other U.N. Security Council members to enact an arms embargo against Iran for refusing to accept a U.N. call for a truce in the 7 1/2-year-old Iran-Iraq War. While lobbying for the embargo, the United States has been seeking reassurances from China that it would not block such a move.