China says it supports resolving the issue of Iran's nuclear program through dialogue, echoing comments made this week by U.S. President Barack Obama. But Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi told reporters in Beijing Tuesday that countries should be able to have and use nuclear technology for non-weapons purposes. He said China is opposed to anyone in the Middle East developing nuclear weapons.
The comments come a day after the U.N.'s nuclear agency chief said there are "serious concerns" about a possible military element to Iran's nuclear program. A team of inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency visited Iran last month, but was denied access to the Parchin military complex near Tehran. Iran's ISNA news agency said Tuesday that Tehran will allow inspectors to visit the site. The IAEA chief, Yukiya Amano, said Monday the agency is aware of "some activities" at the site, and that they believe "going there sooner is better than later." Israel and Western powers accuse Iran of trying to develop nuclear weapons under the cover of a civilian energy program, a charge Tehran denies.