BEIJING - China on Wednesday reiterated its opposition to sanctions on Iran over Tehran's controversial nuclear program.

"The Chinese side has long been opposed to any unilateral sanctions on Iran," said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei.

He added that sanctions cannot ultimately help to resolve the Iranian nuclear issue, but will only further worsen and escalate the issue, "which will do no good in regional peace and stability."

All sides concerned should increase dialogues and boost cooperation to seek an appropriate solution to the issue through negotiations, said the spokesman.

Major Western powers have long suspected that Tehran is secretly developing nuclear weapons, and they are planning to impose new sanctions on Iran.