Beijing - Chinese President Hu Jintao and Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad held talks on Saturday, amid ongoing differences between Iran and Western nations over its nuclear programme.

China's official Xinhua news agency quoted Ahmadinejad as saying Iran and China had "developed a sound cooperative relationship through exchanges and communication in multiple areas."

Hu thanked the Iranian leader for his country's help after the devastating Sichuan earthquake in May and for its support for the Beijing Olympics and Paralympics, the agency said.

The report gave no further details of the talks and did not say if Hu and Ahmadinejad discussed the Iranian nuclear issue.

The Iranian president travelled to China to attend the opening of the 2008 Paralympic Games in Beijing on Saturday evening.

China is one of five permanent members of the UN Security Council, which has urged Iran to halt its uranium enrichment programme. (dpa)