Friday, June 2 2006 11:22 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Beijing: Chinese President Hu Jintao yesterday (June 1, 2006) welcomed the US stance on resolving the Iran nuclear issue through diplomatic means and expressed willingness to join negotiations to peacefully resolve the issue.

It is China's position that the international non-proliferation system should be maintained and the Iran nuclear issue be resolved in a peaceful way through diplomatic means and talks, Hu said during a telephone conversation with US President George W Bush last night.

"China is ready to keep contact and coordination with the United States and play a constructive role in resuming the negotiations on the Iran nuclear issue at an early date," Hu was quoted by a statement of the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

Bush told Hu that his country is determined to resolve the Iran nuclear issue through diplomatic means.

He said as long as Iran agrees to suspend its uranium enrichment activities in verifiable ways, the United States will join relevant negotiations.

Earlier, China backed US decision to join the Iranian nuclear talks, hours after Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing and US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice exchanged views on the vexed issue.

"China is supportive of any efforts to find a political solution to the Iranian nuclear issue through dialogue. We have always believed that so long as relevant parties had direct dialogues, build confidence, we can create conditions for a proper solution to this question," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman, Liu Jianchao told reporters here.