China today opposed tough new sanctions on Iran by the European Union over Tehran's controversial nuclear programme. The Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Jiang Yu said in Beijing, that the standoff over Tehran's enrichment programme should be resolved through negotiations. The spokesperson said that China hopes, the relevant parties will adhere to diplomatic means on the issue.Meanwhile, EU foreign ministers today approved tougher sanctions on Iran over its refusal to halt its uranium enrichment programme, including measures to block oil and gas investment. EU's restrictive measures, which went beyond UN sanctions imposed on June 9, followed a similar move by the United States.