Israel wants hard line on Iran as Beijing urges diplomacy

Jan 10, 2007, 13:59 GMT

Beijing - China urged diplomatic efforts for the resumption of talks with Iran over its controversial nuclear programme Wednesday as visiting Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert sought a hard line from Beijing on the issue.

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said during a meeting with Olmert in Beijing that his country would 'play a constructive role' in the talks, state-run television quoted him as saying.

Olmert had been seeking a hard line in case new sanctions against Tehran were called for in the coming months.

The Chinese premier was also emphatic that all sides in the Middle East exercise restraint.

'History and reality show that violence cannot solve the Middle East problem, but rather they only increase hatred and alienation,' Chinese television reported Wen as saying.

The question of the Palestinians was the core of the problem, he said. China supported Israelis and Palestinians co-existing peacefully as two nations side by side, he said.

Israel, Syria and Lebanon should also take practical action to create trust and an atmosphere for talks, he said.

Wen said that China would play its part in facilitating talks between Arabs and Israelis.

China has good relations with both Israel and the Arabs, but observers say that Beijing has only played a minor role in the peace process until now.

Following Olmert and Wen's meeting, the two premiers signed a raft of agreements, including some on cultural exchange.

The visit, the third to China by an Israeli prime minister, was also to mark the 15th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two countries.

As a prelude to the talks on Tuesday, Olmert visited the Olympic Village for the 2008 Beijing games and a dairy farm funded by Israel.

The two sides also said they wanted to expand bilateral trade, aiming to increase the 2006 figure of 3 billion dollars to 5 billion by 2008.

Chinese President Hu Jintao was scheduled to meet Olmert on Thursday.

Olmert's visit was overshadowed by the news that the Israeli premier was being investigated by police for corruption back home.

Olmert would be questioned after his return, Israel's Arutz 10 television reported.

Among the allegations was the charge that when he was finance minister, Olmert helped business friends during the bidding process for the privatization of the Israeli bank Leumi.

Olmert, who has consistently rejected the allegations, has been accused of corruption several times but never convicted.