China Friday hailed the Iran nuclear talks in Vienna as positive and constructive, which will be “a good start for negotiation” on a comprehensive agreement.

“This round of talks will help maintain the momentum of dialogue. It also laid a good foundation for negotiation on a comprehensive agreement,” said Hua Chunying, foreign ministry spokeswoman referring to the Vienna talks which ended Feb 20.

The talks involved Iran and the group P5+1 — China, Britain, France, Russia, and the US plus Germany.

Hua told a press briefing that all parties showed willingness to solve each other’s concerns, conducted substantive discussions on the specific elements of the comprehensive agreement and finalised schedule for the next round of talks.

She briefed the press on five principles which China put forward, including sticking to the process of nuclear talks with Iran, seeking a comprehensive, fair and appropriate long-term solution, following the principle step-by-step and reciprocal process, creating a favourable atmosphere for dialogue and negotiation, and pursuing a holistic approach addressing both symptoms and root causes of the issue.

“The five principles aim to help all parties bridge their differences and build a consensus. All sides recognised these principles as positive for promoting the dialogue process,” Hua said.

The next round of talks was set for March 17.