China on Thursday said sanctions cannot fundamentally resolve the Iran nuclear issue, after some countries called for sanctions against Iran after a recent United Nations watchdog report said Iran has engaged in the development of nuclear weapons.

"We, as always, believe that dialogue and cooperation are the only effective approaches for properly resolving the Iran nuclear issue. Imposing pressure and sanctions cannot fundamentally resolve the issue," Foreign Ministry Spokesman Hong Lei said at a daily press briefing.

Hong's comments came after the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on Tuesday said in its latest report that credible evidence shows Iran has engaged in projects and experiments relevant to the development of nuclear weapons.

Hong said the top priorities are stepping up diplomatic efforts, promoting dialogue between Iran and six countries -- the United States, Britain, France, Russia, China and Germany -- and seeking substantive progress from the cooperation between the IAEA and Iran.

Hong called on the IAEA to take a fair and objective stance, commit itself to working with Iran to clarify related issues and resolve those issues within the IAEA framework.

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