China V Iran: Interesting Twist

"China, an opponent of harsh U.N. Security Council sanctions against Iran, has nonetheless recently provided the International Atomic Energy Agency with intelligence linked to Tehran's alleged attempts to make nuclear arms, diplomats have told The Associated Press.

Beijing, along with Moscow, has acted as a brake within the council, consistently watering down a U.S.-led push to impose severe penalties on Tehran for its nuclear defiance since the first set of sanctions was passed in late 2006.

A Chinese decision to provide information for use in the agency's attempts to probe Iran's purported nuclear weapons program would appear to reflect growing international unease about how honest the Islamic republic has been in denying it ever tried to make such arms.

Suspected weapons-related work outlined in the February presentation and IAEA reports preceding it include:

—uranium conversion linked to high explosives testing and designs of a missile re-entry vehicle, all apparently interconnected through involvement of officials and institutions;

—procurement of so-called "dual use" equipment and experiments that also could be used in both civilian and military nuclear programs; and

—Iran's possession of a 15-page document outlining how to form uranium metal into the shape of a warhead."

Very interesting indeed. What is China's motivation? Is it that they think this will make up for the fact that they are hardly better than Iran when it comes to human rights, and they want to do something that makes them look better ahead of the Olympics? Are they truly worried about Iran?

Interesting.