China hopes positive progress can be made at the Istanbul nuclear talks scheduled for the end of January, a foreign ministry spokesman said Thursday.

"China hopes the talks can help all parties build mutual trust and consensus. China also hopes positive progress can be made at the talks," Hong Lei said.

"We are willing to make joint efforts to achieve this goal," Hong said.

A new round of nuclear talks between Iran and China, France, Russia, Britain and the United States plus Germany (G5+1) is scheduled to take place in Istanbul, on Jan. 20 and 21.

Iran resumed nuclear talks last month in Geneva with the G5+1 nations after more than a year.

On Wednesday, Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Zhang Zhijun met with Ali Bagheri, deputy secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council. They exchanged views on China-Iran bilateral relations and Iran's nuclear issue.

On the same day, Chinese Assistant Foreign Minister Wu Hailong held negotiations with Bagheri on the Iranian nuclear issue.

China's Permanent Representative and Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the United Nations and other International Organizations in Vienna, will not visit the nuclear sites in Iran as he is currently in China, Hong said.