China has expressed its concern over the current status of Iran's nuclear issue and has called for all relevant parties to?exert greater diplomatic effort and exercise restraint to avoid any escalation of the situation.

 

State Councilor Tang Jiaxuan said that all parties concerned should step up diplomatic efforts to create favorable conditions for the resumption of talks before the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) holds a special session of its board of governors in February.

 

Tang made these remarks when meeting with visiting Iranian chief nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani in Zhongnanhai, the headquarters of the Chinese government in Beijing, on Thursday afternoon.

 

The IAEA is to convene an emergency session of its board of governors next week, during which the United States and the European Union are likely to push for a vote on referring the issue to the UN Security Council. The meeting is being held at the EU's request earlier this month after Iran resumed uranium enrichment research following a two-and-half year suspension.

 

Iran has repeatedly voiced opposition to a referral of the issue and expressed willingness to resolve the issue within the framework of the IAEA.

 

During his meeting with State Councilor Tang, Larijani said Iran is willing to make further efforts to resolve the nuclear issue through dialogue and talks.

 

Larijani, also secretary of the Iranian Supreme National Security Council, arrived in Beijing on Thursday morning from Moscow for a day's visit.

 

(Xinhua News Agency January 27, 2006)