July 22, 2003	Tuesday	Jumadi-ul-Awwal 21, 1424

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BEIJING, July 21: Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao on Monday reiterated Beijing’s support to peace initiatives in South Asia, saying that the tension between Pakistan and Indian had eased to a certain extent.

He told Prime Minister Tony Blair, who is on a visit to China, during their formal talks held in Beijing that his country was willing to work with the international community to maintain peace and stability in South Asia.

“We welcome this development,” the Chinese premier said.

Sources in the Chinese Foreign Office said that the two prime ministers had discussed the situation in South Asia, with special reference to India-Pakistan relations.

Reiterating the Chinese position in this regard, the Chinese premier said: “China is willing to work with the international community and makes its own efforts to maintain peace and stability in South Asia.”

According to the sources, on North Korea’s Nuclear issue, there was a consensus that the matter should be resolved through dialogue and other peaceful mean s. Wen Jiabao briefed Blair about China’s recent diplomatic initiatives, including sending of its envoys to Pyongyang, Moscow and Washington to find a peaceful solution to the problem.

On Iraq, Wen Jiabao reiterated China’s stand that the United States should play a leading and ‘diplomatic’ role in the post- war reconstruction. At the same time, China welcomed establishment of an interim government in Iraq.—APP