China urges resolution of Iran nuclear issue through negoiations

China reaffirmed on Tuesday that resolution of the Iran nuclear issue should come through negotiations.

"China's stance on Iran nuclear issue is clear and we maintain that there is still room to resolve the issue through negotiations," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said at a press conference in Beijing on Tuesday.

Qin said all parties concerned should be flexible and properly settle the issue through dialogue and consultation.

"The international community should not give up peaceful negotiation and all measures should be conducive to the peaceful settlement of the issue," Qin said.

During his visit to the United States last week, Chinese President Hu Jintao talked with U.S. President George W. Bush about the Iran nuclear issue and they both agreed they would continue to consult each other.

The 15-member Security Council on March 28 approved a non-binding presidential statement, asking Iran to suspend uranium enrichment activities within 30 days.

Mohamed ElBaradei, chief of the IAEA, is expected to submit a report to the Security Council in upcoming days.

With the deadline looming, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad vowed to press ahead with the nuclear program.

He also warned that Tehran would "reconsider" its cooperation with the IAEA, hinting that a possible withdrawal from the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, if western countries continued to prevent Iran from obtaining peaceful nuclear technologies.

Source: Xinhua