Diplomacy remains the best way to defuse the Iranian nuclear standoff despite Saturday's resolution adopted by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to report the issue to the UN Security Council, the Foreign Ministry said yesterday.

　　"The Iranian nuclear issue should be properly resolved through negotiations," Foreign Ministry spokesman Kong Quan said at a regular news briefing.

　　On Saturday, the IAEA Board of Governors voted 27 to 3 with five abstentions to approve a resolution drafted by the EU-3 (Germany, Britain and France) to request IAEA chief Mohamed ElBaradei to report the Iranian nuclear issue to the Security Council, which can impose sanctions.

　　China voted for the IAEA resolution because it believed the resolution would encourage further talks.

　　"This resolution is in accord with our basic principle that the authority and seriousness of the non-proliferation regime should be maintained," Kong said.

　　He added the resolution did not oblige the IAEA to refer Iran to the council. "There is still room for resolving the Iranian nuclear dispute within the framework of the IAEA," Kong said. "We hope the resolution helps resolve the stalemate as soon as possible."

　　The UN nuclear watchdog is scheduled to meet again on March 6 to determine whether Iran has met the requirements set in the resolution reached at Saturday's meeting.

　　In defiance of the vote, Iran on Monday officially notified the IAEA that it would resume full-scale uranium enrichment, ending a two-year freeze on such work. Teheran also said it would limit co-operation with nuclear inspectors to basic obligations under the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

　　"In this context, China calls on all parties to exercise restraint and patience and take positive action to create necessary conditions for addressing the issue," Kong said.

　　On Monday, China's Ambassador to the United Nations Wang Guangya also called for a negotiated settlement between Iran and the European countries.

　　"China prefers to have the EU-3 continue negotiations with the Iranians to find a long-term solution to this issue," Wang said in New York. He added there is still time for the council to consider how to arrive at a proper solution by diplomatic means.

　　In Paris, Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing reaffirmed yesterday that China hopes to solve the Iranian nuclear issue through diplomacy.

　　"We hope to be able to find an adequate solution to this question through diplomacy in order to benefit peace and stability in the region," Li told reporters after meeting French President Jacques Chirac.

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