China urged all sides in Iran's nuclear standoff with the West to be creative and find a new way towards a diplomatic solution.

Iran vowed on Wednesday to press on with its disputed nuclear work regardless of any new U.N. sanctions, a day after world powers agreed the outline of a new resolution.

The United States and other Western powers fear Iran's nuclear activities are aimed at building nuclear weapons. Iran, the world's fourth-largest crude oil exporter, says its nuclear programme is intended to generate electricity.

"China calls on all parties concerned to step up diplomatic efforts to be creative and take new approaches so as to break the deadlock and achieve a comprehensive solution to the Iran question," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu told a news conference.

Russia and China, both commercial partners of Iran, have hardened their opposition to tough sanctions since a U.S. intelligence report last month said Iran had halted its nuclear weapons programme in 2003.