WASHINGTON, July 4: The United States has discussed with China the ongoing effort to reduce tensions between South Asia’s two nuclear rivals, India and Pakistan, the State Department said.

“We have frequently talked with China” about developments in India and Pakistan, “particularly the effort that we have made with the parties” for reducing tensions, State Department spokesman Richard Boucher told a briefing this week.

“And, the Chinese, I think, have expressed some support for it — to try to move the parties forward with their own relationship and look for the possibility that they themselves can start talking about these other issues, including Kashmir.”

Mr Boucher said the matter also came up for discussion during the talks with the visiting Chinese vice foreign minister Wang Yi on Wednesday.

He, however, said that there was no link between United States Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage’s talks with Mr Wang Yi and his meeting with the Indian Foreign Secretary Kanwal Sibal, also on Wednesday.

Mr Sibal was visiting Washington to attend the High Technology Cooperation Group between India and the United States.

“The (Sibal-Armitage) meeting is part of our ongoing work with the Indians, the Indian Government and the Pakistani Government — to talk about both our bilateral relationships, which are very important to us, but also to talk about regional issues.”