Visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi said on Tuesday that China supports a peaceful solution to Iran's nuclear issue through diplomatic negotiations.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (R) meets with Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi (L) in Teheran, capital of Iran, November 13, 2007.

"China stands for the maintenance of the international non-proliferation system and supports a peaceful solution to Iran's nuclear issue through diplomatic negotiations," Yang said during his meeting with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

China believes that Iran has the rights to peacefully use nuclear power and appreciates Iran's repeated declaration of no intention to develop nuclear weapons and its cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Yang said.

Yang, who arrived in Tehran earlier Tuesday, told Ahmadinejad that China hopes that Iran will strengthen its cooperation with the IAEA and make progress in its contact with the European Union (EU).

China also hopes that all parties concerned will show flexibility and make efforts to achieve a peaceful solution to the Iranian nuclear issue, Yang said.

For his part, Ahmadinejad said that Iran is making good cooperation with the IAEA and is willing to maintain active contacts with the EU.

Iran is also ready to continue its communication with China and other sides over its nuclear issue, Ahmadinejad said.

In the day, Yang also met his Iranian counterpart Manouchehr Mottaki and Supreme National Security Council Secretary, Saeed Jalili, on Sino-Iranian relations as well as regional and international issues of common concern.

(Xinhua News Agency November 14, 2007)