SHANGHAI, June 11 (Reuters) - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad shrugged off China's support for new U.N. sanctions against Tehran over its nuclear activities on Friday, praising ties between the two countries during a visit to China.
At a ceremony in Shanghai, host city of the World Expo, Ahmadinejad spoke of his hopes of building a "better world".
"The two great nations of Iran and China, who are the owners of the most ancient civilisations of human beings, can stay together to make this dream come true," he said through a translator, to a mostly Chinese and Iranian audience.
China watered down the sanctions package agreed by the United Nations on Wednesday, but still voted for it.
China, which buys millions of barrels of oil from Iran every year, had opposed new restrictions on Tehran for months. The impact of the package was also lessened by Turkish and Brazilian votes against it.
The resolution extended punitive measures against Iran over its protracted refusal to suspend sensitive uranium enrichment activity and open up to U.N. nuclear inspectors.
Though China voted for the latest round of sanctions, Ahmadinejad appeared unconcerned, with his sometimes oblique criticisms of countries whose "ethics and morality have been shaken" apparently aimed squarely at the West.
"There are some countries, like America, whose behaviour is very unjust," he said.
"Nuclear states do not allow others even to use peaceful nuclear energy and they accused others that if they go through civilian nuclear programmes, they would be tempted to build nuclear bombs," he said.
European leaders are expected to agree next week on the need for further sanctions on Iran beyond those imposed by the United Nations on Wednesday, and the United States Congress is also expected to pass additional restrictions, possibly this month.
Ahmadinejad is in Shanghai to attend the Iran day at the ongoing World Expo. China’s Foreign Ministry says the visit is purely related to that event and that he is not scheduled to meet any Chinese leaders to discuss the nuclear issue. He is scheduled to hold a news conference later in the day.
An excited Chinese crowd of at least 200-strong thronged a square outside the Iran pavilion to see Ahmadinejad on his early morning visit, joined by Iranians living in China.
"I came especially to see him," said 60 year-old Shanghai shipping company employee Wei Yian.
"Solidarity between our two peoples is very strong. Every country has the right to their own systems."
