BEIJING (AP) -- China said Tuesday that sanctions should not be used to resolve the standoff between some Western countries and Iran as a way to persuade Tehran to drop its nuclear program.

The United States, France and Britain are among the countries coming out strongly in favor of new sanctions as part of an effort to force Iran to abandon its nuclear program.
China has joined fellow permanent UN Security Council member Russia in opposing such measures.
China believes that ""the unbridled use of sanctions should not be encouraged,"" Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao told a news conference.
His comments come as Israel's Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni was in Beijing to call on China to back new sanctions against Iran.
Iran has repeatedly insisted that its nuclear program are completely peaceful.
China backed two rounds of UN sanctions, but has since joined fellow permanent Security Council member Russia, in opposing new measures.