"We talked about Iran and both agreed Iran should not have the capability to make nuclear weapons and shouldn't proliferate weapons of mass destruction," Merkel told a joint press conference with Wen.

Merkel met President Hu Jintao later on Monday.

"China and Germany agree that the conflict must be solved on a diplomatic level and Iran must return to the international community," she said after those talks.

German officials had said before Merkel's trip that Germany would like to see China more closely involved in the international efforts to solve the nuclear crisis in Iran.

China, which is a veto-wielding permanent member of the UN Security Council, opposes the use of force or sanctions against Iran.

It has sided with Russia to resist US-led efforts to introduce a UN Security Council resolution that would legally bind Tehran to stopping its uranium enrichment work.

China and Russia say such a resolution could heighten tensions and open the door to a military attack on Iran -- an option that the United States is refusing to take off the table.

Germany has been intensely involved in diplomatic efforts to persuade Iran to abandon sensitive nuclear activities, working closely with the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council.

Together with Britain and France, Germany is preparing a package of trade, technology and security benefits if Tehran stops enriching uranium, a process that creates fuel for power plants but can also form the core of nuclear bombs.

Iran insists its nuclear programme is peaceful.

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