Iran announced Sunday that it will host an international nuclear disarmament conference later this month.
The country's top nuclear negotiator (Saeed Jalili) said China will participate in the talks aimed at promoting nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.
The two-day conference is set to begin April 17, four days after the
conclusion of an international nuclear security summit being held in
Washington.
Chinese President Hu Jintao is expected to attend the U.S. conference.
China has resisted efforts to impose new sanctions on Iran over suspicions about its nuclear program.
The U.S. and its allies accuse Iran of working to enrich uranium to develop nuclear weapons, which the Islamic Republic denies.
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said in a televised speech
Saturday that he rejected U.S. diplomatic efforts regarding his
country's nuclear program. Mr. Ahmadinejad said that additional
sanctions will only make Tehran more determined.
Also Saturday, Iran's atomic energy chief (Ali Akbar Salehi) said his department had submitted plans to start constructing two new nuclear facilities as early as August.
The U.S. is calling on members of the United Nations Security Council
to approve a fourth round of sanctions against Iran because of its
nuclear activities.