After the UN Security Council took its toughest action yet in the Iranian nuclear standoff, China expressed hope that the latest resolution will be conducive to ongoing diplomatic efforts and a peaceful solution.

"China maintains its support to the international nuclear non-proliferation regime and is opposed to any proliferation of nuclear weapons," said Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao in a statement yesterday.

Liu said China does not want to see any new turbulence in the Middle East, urging the relevant parties to remain calm and restrained and continue to push for an early resumption of talks.

The 15-member Security Council on Monday adopted a resolution demanding that Iran suspend all uranium enrichment and reprocessing activities by the end of August or face possible sanctions.

The resolution passed by a vote of 14 to 1. Qatar, the only Arab nation on the Security Council, cast the only negative vote.

Liu vowed that China would continue to play a constructive role in the process.

Deputy Representative to the UN Liu Zhenming told reporters after the voting that the process of resolving Iran's nuclear issue is complicated by the lack of trust among the major concerned parties and said the Security Council cannot take sole charge of the issue.

"Dialogue and negotiation are the only way out," he said according to Xinhua, emphasizing that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) should be the main mechanism for dealing with the issue.

"The solution requires all-round diplomatic efforts and any measures adopted by the Security Council should serve the purpose of diplomatic efforts," he said.

He stressed that if Teheran responded positively to a package of incentives offered earlier by the Security Council's permanent members plus Germany, the council would take no further action.

Iran insists on its right to produce nuclear fuel, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said yesterday in response to the resolution.

"The Iranian people see taking advantage of technology to produce nuclear fuel for peaceful purposes as their right," Ahmadinejad told a crowd in the northeastern town of Bojnurd.

Analysts say China voted for the resolution because it would encourage further talks and somewhat ease the tense situation in the region.

Gong Shaopeng, an expert on Middle East issues with China Foreign Affairs University, said China's view is to maintain and strengthen the IAEA's authority and role and hope the Iranian side takes the one-month opportunity.

He said the vote's near-unanimity "has shown the consensus reached by the international community on the Iranian nuclear issue."

Qatar, he added, was not against the terms of the UN resolution, but opposed setting a deadline for Iran.

Gong said the current situation in the Middle East is indeed very complicated yet still under control.

"If the relevant sides can step up their efforts in negotiation and mediation, those problems can still be resolved in a short period of time," he said.

Source: China Daily