During a meeting with Iranian enovy Mehdi Safari, he said China believed the Iran nuclear issue should be resolved within the framework of the IAEA and was opposed to having it referred to the UN Security Council. Noting the similarity in stances of the two countries on a number of international issues, the Chinese official called for further strengthening of bilateral relations. Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Asia-Pacific Affairs Mehdi Safari arrived in Beijing Monday to exchange views with Chinese officials on issues of mutual interest as well as some regional and international issues. Safari, during the meeting, briefed the Chinese official on Iran's nuclear activities in relation to the International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA) duties as the international community's nuclear watchdog. He also called for promotion of Tehran-Beijing relations and continuation of consultations on regional and international issues. PIN/IRNA