China expects Iran to work with IAEA on nuclear issue

BEIJING, Dec. 3 (Xinhua) -- China on Thursday expressed the hope that Iran will work with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to promote dialogue and negotiation for a proper solution to the Iran nuclear issue at an early date.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang made the remarks at a regular press briefing.

The IAEA in Vienna on Nov. 27 passed a resolution, which called for the "full cooperation" of Iran to clarify all outstanding issues involving its nuclear program. China voted for the resolution.

Qin said China's vote was consistent with its position on the Iran nuclear issue, which urged the parties involved to resolve the issue through dialogue and negotiation.

China supported the international nuclear non-proliferation regime and believed that the peace and stability in the Middle East should be safeguarded, Qin said.

He said China would, as always, push forward the process of a diplomatic solution to the Iran nuclear issue.

A draft agreement, presented by chief of the IAEA Mohamed El Baradei, had called for shipping most of Iran's existing low-grade enriched uranium to Russia and France to be processed into fuel rods with a purity of 20 percent as fuel for Tehran's research reactor.

The United States, Russia and France approved the draft deal.

Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Wednesday Iran would produce 20-percent enriched uranium itself.