BEIJING, April 6: China has expressed the hope that Pakistan and India will seize the opportunity to settle their disputes, including the issue of Kashmir, through peaceful means.

A spokesman of the China’s Foreign Ministry Liu Jianchao here on Thursday said: “We have taken note that there has been constant improvement of relations between the two countries with the expansion of their cooperation at various levels.”

“We appreciate and welcome the momentum of development in relations by the two countries. This demonstrates the determination of both sides to improve their relations. China as a neighbour and friend of both countries, believes that they can seize the current opportunity to properly settle their disputes, including Kashmir through dialogue and make joint efforts for peace and development in South Asia.”

Liu Jianchao said as a permanent member of the UN Security Council and the president of the UN Security Council, a position it assumed this month, China was willing to play an active role in promoting peace and development in the region. China, he said, had been working actively to play an appropriate role on many issues.

On Iraq, Iran and North Korea, the spokesman said: “We have been trying promoting dialogue to solve these issues through peaceful means”, he added.

Referring to the recently-concluded nuclear deal between India and the Unied States, the spokesman expressed the hope that both the countries would fulfil their NPT obligations.

“We expect from both India and the US to honour their commitment of promoting nuclear non-proliferation regime,” he.

Liu Jianchao also hoped that the deal would be helpful to the NPT’s mechanism that obligates the five nuclear-weapon states — the US, Russia, UK, France, and China — not to transfer nuclear weapons, other nuclear explosive devices, or their technology to any non-nuclear-weapon state and to those which have not signed the treaty.

He, however, said that the China welcomed the improvement of relations between India and United States. “We don’t think that the deal is meant to contain China. We hope it will be helpful for the regional stability,” he said. — APP