2010-11-02 19:33

BEIJING - China called for relevant parties to restart talks over the Iran nuclear issue as soon as possible, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei told a regular news briefing here Tuesday.

"China has always advocated for a peaceful resolution of the issue through dialogue and negotiations," Hong said, adding that China hoped all relevant parties could increase diplomatic efforts and achieve a positive result.

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.

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 Iran's television network Press TV.

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