China on Tuesday called for parties to restart talks over the Iran nuclear issue after the Iranian president welcomed such a move.

"Under the current circumstances, all relevant parties should increase diplomatic efforts and restart the Iran nuclear talks for a comprehensive, long-term and proper solution," Foreign Ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu told a regular news briefing in Beijing.

"China has always advocated a peaceful resolution of the issue through dialogue and negotiations," said Ma.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Sunday Iran was ready to talk with the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany (G5+1) over its nuclear energy program if preconditions were met.

Talks between Iran and the six countries were halted last October.

On Friday, Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki welcomed EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton's offer for the resumption of talks over Iran's nuclear energy program, according to Press TV.

Ashton on Thursday suggested a new round of talks with Iran in November in Vienna, capital of Austria.

Western countries have called on Tehran to halt its sensitive nuclear program but the country has continued with it insisting that its nuclear activities are for civilian purposes only.