China calls for peaceful settlement of Iranian nuclear issue

BEIJING, Oct. 25 (People's Daily Online) -- China has called for dialogue and negotiation to peacefully address the Iranian nuclear issue, Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said Thursday.

At a regular press briefing, he said that sanctions and using force can not fundamentally resolve the issue but may generate problems. Hong said these could have a negative impact on the peace and stability in the Middle East and the world.

Hong was responding to a question concerning reports about the Iranian nuclear issue.

Dialogue on Iranian nuclear issue is going through a critical phase at present, the spokesman said.

He said China hoped relevant parties would step up diplomatic efforts and enhance cooperation to start a new round of talks between countries and Iran at an early date.

Reports said that an Iranian official had recently claimed that the country would enrich uranium to a purity level of more than 20 percent if the West refused to ease sanctions against Iran. Analysts believed that it may raise fears of Israeli military action.

Most viewed commentaries
U.S. should pay more attention to domestic affairs	China should participate more in making int'l rules	China bashing: Shame on American politics
Face up to temporary tension between China, Japan	China, Japan and S. Korea must eye the best despite disputes	Japan interferes with Chinese navy's training