Gates appeals to China to help U.S. on Iran

By Andrew Gray

BEIJING (Reuters) - Defense Secretary Robert Gates has appealed to China for help in curbing Iran's nuclear program, arguing that a stable Gulf was in the interests of Beijing's energy security.

Gates said he had raised the issue of Iran in his meetings on Monday with Chinese defense and foreign ministry officials, although it had not come up during talks with President Hu Jintao on Tuesday, which he said had focused on military relations.

"An Iran that is a destabilizing force in the region is not in anyone's interest, including in China's," Gates told reporters as he toured the Forbidden City.

"If one is interested in long-term energy security, then a stable Persian Gulf, Middle East area is a very high priority."

Both the United States and China are veto-wielding members of the U.N. Security Council.

But while Washington is seeking tougher U.N. sanctions on Iran, China -- which sources about 12 percent of its oil there -- favors talks to resolve the issue of its nuclear program.

China's Foreign Ministry said Beijing and Washington had common goals on Iran.

"We both believe Iran should not have nuclear weapons and we also both believe in safeguarding the Non-Proliferation Treaty," Liu Jianchao told a regular news conference.