China urged Iran on Friday to continue negotiations with the
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), saying it hoped to see
"a positive outcome" on the Iranian nuclear issue.
"We would advocate a peaceful resolution of the Iranian nuclear
issue through negotiation," Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi
said in talks with visiting Iranian Interior Minister Mostafa
Pour-Mohammadi on Friday afternoon in Beijing.
"China opposes the proliferation of nuclear weapons," Yang told
Pour-Mohammadi, saying it appreciated the working plan reached by
Iran and the IAEA and hoped Iran could conduct all-round and full
cooperation with the agency to achieve positive results as soon as
possible.
In a later meeting, Chinese State Councilor Tang Jiaxuan also
stressed that China would back Iran's efforts to develop
cooperation with the IAEA, calling for the parties involved to
positively respond to international concerns and make efforts to
prevent the situation from further worsening.
Tang said China would continue to play a constructive role on
the issue to safeguard the international nuclear non-proliferation
system and resolve the issue through diplomatic negotiation.
As special envoy of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Pour
Mohammadi arrived here on Thursday for a two-day visit.
In a press conference after the meetings, Pour Mohammadi said
Iran would be willing to deepen cooperation with the IAEA according
to international rules and regulations as well as the NPT (Nuclear
Non-proliferation Treaty).
Pour Mohammadi said he already briefed the Chinese side on
details of the working plan agreed with the IAEA last month and the
two sides reached consensus that solving the disputes within the
IAEA framework through peaceful methods was "the most effective way
out".
Chinese experts believe that Pour Mohammadi's China visit was to
explain Iran's position on the nuclear issue.
Iran wanted recognition of its nuclear capability by Western
countries, which it believed would help to expand its role and
influence in the Middle East, said Yin Gang, researcher with the
Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS).
However, China only promised to support Iran's right to peaceful
utilization of the nuclear power, which could be interpreted as an
indication for Iran not to overdevelop its nuclear programs, Yin
said.
The Iranian envoy's China trip followed a meeting of the
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) governing board in Vienna
to discuss a deal reached last month between Iran and the UN
nuclear watchdog that demands Iran answer outstanding questions
about its nuclear program.
The report also says Iran has not halted uranium enrichment.
The United States and other Western countries have accused Iran
of trying to develop atomic weapons under a civilian cover, but
Iran denies the accusation, saying it just wants to generate
electricity.
The U.S. State Department said on Wednesday that it was working
with other members of the UN Security Council as well as Germany to
pass a new resolution on Iran with more sanctions.
"Sanctions are not the most effective measures to solve
problems," Pour Mohammadi said in an interview with Xinhua on
Thursday evening.
"We will conduct nuclear activities, abiding by a series of
international laws and regulations and we consider it is beneficial
to us as well to cooperate with the international community," Pour
Mohammadi said through an interpreter.
(Xinhua News Agency September 15, 2007)
