Amid international efforts to solve the Iranian nuclear stand-off a senior Chinese diplomat flew to Tehran yesterday.

Assistant Foreign Minister Cui Tiankai will discuss Teheran's nuclear issue with Iranian officials and exchange views with them on other international and regional issues of common concern, according to Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao.

He made the remarks in a news release on the ministry's website early yesterday without giving further details.

The US has accused Iran of secretly developing nuclear weapons behind a civilian front. This charge has been categorically denied by Teheran saying its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes.

China has maintained its wish to solve the Iranian nuclear issue through political consultations and made a series of diplomatic efforts along with the international community to persuade Iran to give up its nuclear program.  

Cui's visit comes just one week before Teheran gives a promised response to the package of proposals drawn up by the five permanent UN Security Council members -- the US, Britain, China, France and Russia -- along with Germany.

The UN Security Council adopted a resolution on July 31 urging Teheran to "suspend all enrichment-related and reprocessing activities, including research and development" by August 31 or face the prospect of sanctions.

Due to the insistence of council members such as Russia and China the resolution dropped the threat of immediate sanctions and required the council to hold further discussions before such moves were considered.

Observers don't expect a breakthrough from Cui's latest visit to Iran but believe the trip is a positive step toward a resolution of the issue.

The Chinese envoy may seriously admonish the Iranians over the issue to take into account the interests of the Iranian people, said Professor Gong Shaopeng from the Beijing-based China Foreign Affairs University.

Iran warned Sunday that it would withdraw from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) if it's deprived of its "inalienable rights," the official IRNA news agency reported.

(China Daily August 15, 2006)