China welcomes Zardari's visit to India saying better Indo-Pak ties in its interests

Beijing, Apr 9(ANI): China has reportedly welcomed Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari's recent visit to India, saying better ties between both "two nuclear- armed heavyweight neighbors" will bring about regional stability that would also be in its own interests.

China was closely watching the visit because it has implications on its own interests, including the issues of terrorism and the Siachen glacier that touches the Karakoram Highway connecting China with Pakistan, The News reports.

A Xinhua report said that better Indo-Pak ties would be beneficial to China, as it will help bring down military expenditure and help the latter's modernization drive.

"China wants to further boost ties with both countries, and is happy to witness continuous improvement of the Pakistan-India ties," the report said

It said peaceful co-existence between both countries is "indispensable for regional stability, which is vital for regional prosperity and China's modernization drive.

Efforts towards improvement in India-Pakistan ties "certainly are welcomed and applauded by the international community including China," it added. (ANI)