"China has always considered that dialogue and cooperation is the only right way to properly resolve the Iranian nuclear issue,” China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said on Monday.
The Chinese official made the remarks following the release of the latest report issued by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on Iran’s nuclear energy program.
Hua said the P5+1 (Britain, China, France, Russia, and the US plus Germany) must pursue talks with Iran. She further urged the IAEA to enhance cooperation with the Islamic Republic in order to achieve a comprehensive, long-term and appropriate solution.
Iran and the P5+1 have held several rounds of multifaceted talks mainly over the Iranian nuclear energy program.
Following a meeting with Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov on November 14 in Tehran, Secretary of the Iranian Supreme National Security Council Saeed Jalili expressed Tehran’s readiness to continue negotiations and urged the P5+1 to return to the negotiating table as soon as possible.
The United States, Israel and some of their allies have repeatedly accused Iran of pursuing non-civilian objectives in its nuclear energy program.
Iran says its nuclear activities are entirely peaceful, arguing that as a committed signatory to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and a member of the IAEA, it is entitled to develop and acquire nuclear technology for civilian purposes.
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