"During his visit, both sides will exchange views on the Iran nuclear issue and other international and regional issues of common concern," spokesman Liu Jianchao said on the ministry's website.

The announcement did not say how long the visit would last.

China has maintained that the Iran nuclear crisis should be resolved through diplomacy, following the UN Security Council resolution demanding Tehran halt nuclear activities by August 31.

Iran on Sunday repeated its refusal to suspend uranium enrichment activities, threatening instead to withdraw from the International Atomic Energy Agency, the UN's nuclear watchdog.

While China and Russia voted for the Security Council resolution on July 31, they have consistently advocated a softer line against Iran than that of the United States, particularly on the issue of potential sanctions.

All rights reserved. � 2005 Agence France-Presse. Sections of the information displayed on this page (dispatches, photographs, logos) are protected by intellectual property rights owned by Agence France-Presse. As a consequence, you may not copy, reproduce, modify, transmit, publish, display or in any way commercially exploit any of the content of this section without the prior written consent of Agence France-Presse.