BEIJING, Aug 30: China has spared no effort to persuade India and Pakistan to be at peace again, official sources said here.

Highlighting China’s diplomatic efforts to bring peace and stability to the region during the last six months, these sources hoped the two countries would realize the importance of maintaining friendly ties.

China, they added, strongly believed that bilateral and regional disputes could only be settled through a process of dialogue.

These sources told APP here Friday that China, as a friend of both the countries and their biggest neighbour, would urge them to take necessary steps for reducing the prevailing tension in the region.

They recalled that during the summit meeting of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia, President Jiang Zemin met separately with both Indian and Pakistani leaders, and underlined the importance of maintaining friendly ties.

China has not only effectively safeguarded its own national interests, but has also played an active role in promoting world peace and development.

The Sept 11 terrorist attacks on the United States last year brought more variable factors to the already complex international relations, they pointed out.

The sources said China, with its concrete actions, had proved, and will continue to prove itself a staunch force geared towards safeguarding peace and promoting development in the region and the world at large.

Its government has adhered to an independent foreign policy of peace in the complex and changing international situation, to develop friendly contacts and mutual cooperation with all countries based on the five principles of peaceful coexistence. —APP