China welcomes latest meeting between Iran, IAEA

China has welcomed the latest meeting between Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and hopes for further dialogue between the two parties, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said on Tuesday.

Yukiya Amano, head of the UN atomic watchdog, and Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi had a meeting on Monday. Araqchi said the meeting was "very useful and constructive."

At a daily news briefing on Tuesday, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said, "We encourage the agency and Iran to further step up dialogue and cooperation."

The Chinese side hopes the IAEA and Iran will play constructive roles in pushing ahead with negotiations to resolve the Iranian nuclear issue in a peaceful way, Hua said.

"At present, all sides concerned should grasp the opportunities for dialogue, and seek common ground while resolving disputes in pursuit of new progress at an early date to create favorable conditions for resolving the Iranian nuclear issue in a comprehensive, long-term and appropriate way," added the spokeswoman.