BEIJING (IRNA) -- The Chinese vice foreign minister said here Tuesday that his country respects the right of Iranians to make use of civilian nuclear energy.

Dai Bingguo, who is also the chairman of head office of Chinese Communist Party, made the remarks in a meeting with his Iranian counterpart Mehdi Safari.
Bingguo reiterated that China calls for settlement of the dispute over Iran's nuclear program through diplomatic channels.
""The Chinese government and its president give priority to the strategic relations with Iran,"" he noted.
The Chinese official outlined his country's policies on regional and international issues, saying, ""China underscores the importance of its own independence-seeking policy.""
He added that Tehran-Beijing economic ties have increased during recent years.
He further appreciated Iran's Foreign Minister Manuchehr Mottaki for his congratulatory message on the occasion of the appointment of new Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi.
Safari conferred with Chinese Deputy Foreign Minister for Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and Manager of Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Li Zhaoxing on expansion of mutual cooperation.
Iranian President Mahmud Ahmadinejad is to attend the upcoming meeting of Shanghai Cooperation Organization to be held in the Kyrgyz capital city of Bishkek, Safari said.
There is no doubt that the meeting between the Iranian and Chinese presidents which is to be held on the sidelines of SCO meeting would help expand all-out ties between the two countries.
Iran is to join SCO for joint cooperation in campaign against drug trafficking, terrorism, extremism, and bolster broad based cooperation in fields of commerce, energy, and telecommunications, he said.
Iran is able to draw up an energy charter to cover the whole Asia, Safari said.
On his part, Li Zhaoxing expressed satisfaction with the current visit of the Iranian envoy to China and welcomed the upcoming participation of the Iranian president in SCO meet and his meeting with the Chinese president.
Calling the keynote speech delivered by Iranian president in the last year's meeting of SCO as significant and constructive, he said ""We hope to further broaden mutual cooperation within SCO.""
Lauding the key role of Iran in the region, he voiced readiness to visit Iran to exchange views on expansion of mutual cooperation with Iranian officials