Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji, who is embarking on his first official visit to India from January 13, will be urging both India and Pakistan to make their "best efforts" to resolve all their differences through peaceful negotiations, a senior Chinese official said in Beijing on Tuesday. "We hope the two sides will make their best efforts to seek peace through dialogue and consultations," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Sun Yuxi told reporters.
Zhu will be in India from January 13 to 18 after visiting Bangladesh from January 11 to 13, Sun said adding China hopes that India and Pakistan will exercise restraint and refrain from worsening and deteriorating the situation and seek solution through dialogue and consultation so as to seek peaceful settlement. "The visit by Premier Zhu is also going to be made in this spirit," Sun stressed. Zhu's visit to India will be the first in over a decade by a Chinese Premier. Bureau Report