Cui Tiankai, assistant to Chinese Foreign Minister, will visit Iran and Russia from April 14 to 18, Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao said Thursday in Beijing.

"Cui will exchange views with Iranian and Russian diplomats on Iranian nuclear issue and other issues of common concern," Liu told a regular news conference.

"Cui's visit aims at stepping up the exchanges with all parties concerned in a bid to help resolve the Iranian nuclear issue properly," Liu said.

"China is concerned about the statement by the Iranian side and is worried about the way in which things are developing," Liu said.

China appeals to the parties concerned to show restraint and not take actions that might further aggravate the situation, he said, adding the issue should be properly settled through negotiations and diplomatic efforts.

Chinese Ambassador to the United Nations Wang Guangya on Wednesday required that Iran be more cooperative on its disputed nuclear program.

"According to what they announced, certainly it is not in line with what is required of them by the international community, including the IAEA resolution and the Security Council presidential statement," Wang told reporters at UN headquarter in New York.

"I hope the Iranians take note of the reaction (of the international community) and be more cooperative," he added.

Wang said China is concerned about the way in which things are developing.

China appeals to all parties concerned to exercise restraint, to act constructively, and not to take actions that might further aggravate the situation, he said.

He noted that diplomatic effort is still underway and military and other sanctions will not be helpful in the current situation.

"Diplomatic solution is the best way out of there," Wang added.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad announced on Tuesday that Iran had successfully enriched uranium, but stressing that it did not want to seek to develop nuclear weapons.

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director-General Mohammed ElBaradei started his visit to Iran Thursday morning upon an invitation extended by chief of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization Gholam-Reza Aqazadeh.

ElBaradei will meet with senior Iranian officials and hold consultations with them on the continuation of Iran's constructive interaction and cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog.

Source: Xinhua