Pakistan, Aug. 15 -- China on Friday firmly opposed the European move to reimpose sanctions on Iran over its nuclear programme, stressing that such actions would not help build trust among all parties involved. The statement came after Britain, France, and Germany - known as the E3 group - warned the UN they would restore sanctions if no diplomatic progress was achieved by the end of August. Beijing's foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian said reimposing restrictions would not support early talks and would harm efforts toward a peaceful resolution.

The E3 had eased sanctions on Iran under the 2015 nuclear deal in return for limits on Tehran's nuclear activities. However, in a joint letter to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and the Se...