Q: There have been reports for a while that China and Russia have been working together to pressure the Director General of the IAEA in an attempt to stop him from submitting the report on the Iranian nuclear issue. How does China respond?

A: Director General of the IAEA is preparing for the report on the Iranian nuclear issue that he plans to submit to the meeting of Board of Governors to be held in November.

China is always supportive of the work of the IAEA and has maintained regular contact with the Director General. Earlier, together with Russia, we briefed the Director General on our views regarding the Iranian nuclear issue in the hope that the agency can be objective and fair, maintain its independence and professionalism and prudently handle the Iranian nuclear issue and prepare the report concerned based on facts. The Director General said that he valued our views. Such communication is completely normal, but it's not appropriate to leak it to the media. The coverage of this issue by some media is not objective.

China will continue to keep in close communication with other parties concerned and the IAEA to unyieldingly push for the settlement of the Iranian nuclear issue through diplomatic negotiations.