Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi made the remarks at a press briefing after meeting with visiting German Vice Chancellor and Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs Guido Westerwelle in Beijing.

    The Iran nuclear issue should be resolved through peaceful diplomatic negotiations, which would be conducive to safeguarding stability in the Middle East, said Yang.

    China firmly upheld the international nuclear non-proliferation regime, he said, noting all countries had the right to peaceful use of nuclear energy.

    Representatives of major powers are reported to be meeting in New York at the end of this week to discuss Iran's nuclear issues.

    The meeting will group senior officials from the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council -- Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States -- and Germany.