Beijing: Claiming "new progress" in its
ties with South Asian countries, China Sunday said Premier Wen
Jiabao's recent visit to India and Pakistan "promoted its
strategic partnerships of cooperation" with both the nations.
"Wen's visits to India and Pakistan promoted China's
strategic partnerships of cooperation with the two nations,"
Chinese Assistant Foreign Minister Hu Zhengyue said in an
interview with the official Xinhua news agency Sunday.
He said China will continue to play a constructive
role in "regional hotspots" and resolve its differences with
neighbouring states through negotiations.
His comments came in the backdrop of recent write ups
in Chinese official media that Beijing was not looking to
strike a "strategic equilibrium" between its two neighbours as
different factors drove it to improve its ties with India
while retaining "strategic all weather" relationship with
Pakistan.
Hu's remark that Wen's visit to India and Pakistan
promoted strategic partnership with both the countries caught
the attention of analysts here. New Delhi was often considered
to be the prime factor for close strategic ties between
Beijing and Islamabad.
During Premier Wen's visit to India, Hu said the two
sides established a mechanism for regular exchange between
heads of state and governments.
Both the countries also opened a hotline phone
contacts between the two Prime Ministers, besides agreeing to
establish a strategic economic dialogue mechanism, he said.
During Wen's visit to Pakistan, the two countries
established an annual meeting mechanism between leaders and a
foreign ministers' dialogue mechanism, Hu said.
"China and South Asian nations have new opportunities
to develop their relations. China hopes to develop friendly
and cooperative ties with all South Asian nations, based on
the five principles of peaceful coexistence and through the
joint promotion of peace, stability and development in the
region," Hu said.
China which has been admitted as observer in SAARC
grouping donated USD 300,000 to the SAARC fund, he said.
PTI
First Published: Monday, January 17, 2011, 00:53