China yesterday urged the international community to intensify diplomatic efforts for an early resumption of nuclear negotiations with Iran ahead of a multilateral Berlin meeting which will discuss possible UN sanctions.

Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi, who met visiting Iranian nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili in Beijing last night, said: "The Iranian nuclear issue is now at a crucial moment. China hopes all concerned parties, including Iran, make joint efforts to resume negotiations as soon as possible in a bid to promote a comprehensive and proper settlement of this issue."

Yang reiterated China's consistent position on the Iranian nuclear issue, saying China advocates a peaceful solution to the issue through diplomatic negotiations, supports the international non-proliferation system, and seeks regional peace and stability.

Jalili said Iran's nuclear plan is completely of a peaceful nature, and that Teheran appreciates Beijing's position of seeking a peaceful solution. His country is ready to strengthen cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and resolve the issue through negotiations, he added.

Jalili's two-day visit comes amid a US push for new UN action against Iran at next Tuesday's six-way talks on Iran's refusal to halt uranium enrichment.

Yang will attend the discussion with his counterparts from the other four permanent members of the UN Security Council - the United States, Britain, France and Russia - plus Germany.

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu said yesterday that China's position on the Iranian nuclear issue is consistent, which is based on the maintenance of the international nuclear non-proliferation regime as well as peace and stability in the Middle East.

She said China hopes that Iran abides by relevant UN Security Council resolutions and show flexibility in fully cooperating with the international community.

"We also hope the international community intensifies diplomatic efforts to break the stalemate and seek a comprehensive, long-lasting and proper solution to the issue," she said.

With Washington seeking Beijing's support for a new UN resolution, visiting US Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte told reporters yesterday that he would raise the Teheran issue at a bilateral senior-level dialogue, being held yesterday and today in Guiyang, capital of Guizhou Province.

"We think it's important there be an additional Security Council resolution because Iran is out of compliance with previously passed resolutions and that is the argument that will be presented to the Chinese authorities both in my meeting here, but more importantly, when Secretary Rice meets with the Chinese foreign minister," he said.

China and Russia have been calling for further talks rather than aggressive UN action against Iran.

Yin Gang, a senior researcher with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said Iran's attitude is key to the results of next week's Berlin meeting.

He said China would continue to ask Iran to abide by UN demands to answer questions about its nuclear activities so as to safeguard the authority of the Security Council, while at the same time seeking a political solution to make sure sanctions do not hurt the Iranian people.

(China Daily 01/18/2008 page11)