Saeed Jalili planned to meet Chinese officials over the next two days before briefing the press Friday, said Mahmoud Rezvani, press officer with the embassy.

He offered no other details on Jalili's stay, but Iran's official IRNA news agency had reported Jalili would meet with Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi to discuss "progress in Iran's nuclear issue", among other topics.

"It's a normal visit. He is in Beijing to talk with Chinese officials and exchange ideas on basic issues such as current events nowadays and bilateral issues," Rezvani told AFP.

Jalili is due to leave China on Friday, he said.

His visit coincides with that of US Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte, who said in Beijing Thursday he would seek China's support for a new UN Security Council resolution against Iran over its nuclear programme.

"We think it is important that there be an additional Security Council resolution because Iran is out of compliance with previously passed resolutions," Negroponte said.

"That is the argument that will be presented to the Chinese authorities."

Although a recently issued US intelligence report said Iran has likely suspended research into designs of a nuclear warhead, he said it was violating an existing UN resolution by carrying out uranium enrichment.

China, which has growing energy ties with Tehran, has said it opposes further aggressive UN action against Iran, calling for negotiations on the issue.