China calls Vienna talks a 'good start'

China on Friday hailed the Iran nuclear talks in Vienna as positive and constructive, which will be a good start for negotiation on a comprehensive agreement. "This round of talks will help maintain the momentum of dialogue. It also laid a good foundation for negotiation on a comprehensive agreement," said Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying, referring to the Vienna talks which ended on Thursday. The talks involved Iran and the P5+1 including China, Britain, France, Russia, the United States and Germany. Hua told a regular press briefing that all parties showed willingness to solve each other's concerns, conducted substantive discussions on the specific elements a comprehensive agreement involves, and made a timetable for the next round of talks. She briefed the press on the five principles China put forward, including sticking to the process of P5+1 dialogue with Iran, seeking a comprehensive, fair and appropriate long-term solution, following the principle of step-by-step and reciprocal process, creating a favorable atmosphere for dialogue and negotiation, and pursuing a holistic approach addressing both symptoms and root causes of the issue. "The five principles aim to help all parties bridge their differences and build a consensus. All sides recognized these principles as positive for promoting the dialogue process," Hua said. She said more complicated and sensitive problems will come out as the talks enter a new phase of comprehensive agreement negotiation. China will join with all parties, in the spirit of the five principles, to continue to promote the negotiation, and play a constructive role in the search of a comprehensive, long-term and appropriate solution of the Iran nuclear standoff, the spokeswoman added. The next round of talks was set for March 17.