BEIJING, Feb. 22 -- China hopes Iran suspends uranium enrichment to help resolve the nuclear issue, the Foreign Ministry said yesterday.

    "Given current developments, China hopes Iran will restore suspension of all activities relating to uranium enrichment and create the conditions for resolving the issue through negotiations," ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao said at a regular news briefing.

    Liu's remarks were made as two days of talks between Russian and Iranian nuclear negotiators on the issue ended in Moscow with no deal.

    Moscow's proposal to enrich uranium for Iranian power plants on Russian soil was seen as a "last-ditch diplomatic effort" to defuse the row over Iran's nuclear activities before the issue is referred to the United Nations Security Council next month. The referral could lead to economic sanctions on Iran.

    "We support Iran and Russia holding nuclear talks and we hope they achieve positive results," Liu said.

    Analysts say it is uncertain how much Iran would concede on the issue even though it agreed to discuss Russia's proposal.

    "Even if Iran agrees to move its uranium enrichment to Russia, it will not promise to stop all its nuclear activities," said Hua Liming, a senior expert on international relations.

(Source: China Daily)