Backing the improving Indo-Pak relations, Chinese President Hu Jintao on Wednesday said his country seeks no selfish gains in South Asia and was ready to play a constructive role for peace and development in the sub-continent.
In an apparent suggestion aimed at countering the growing US influence, China Wednesday sought India's support in promoting multi-polarity in the world and democracy in international relations and called for converting the China-India boundary into a ''bond of good neighbourliness.''
Chinese President Hu Jintao, in an address on 'Working Together to Expand Cooperation And Create a Bright Future', said that in a world moving towards multi-polarity and with growing economic globalisation, destinies of the two countries were closely bonded together.
''The destinies of our countries and peoples are once again closely bonded together...we share broad common interests in advancing multi-polarity in the world and democracy in international relations and on other major international issues,'' he said in his keynote address organised by the Indian Council for World Affairs.
President Hu, who will go to Islamabad from here, welcomed the improvement in India-Pakistan relations and said Beijing was ready to play a constructive role in promoting peace and development in the sub-continent.
China ''welcomes and supports improvement of relations between India and Pakistan. China does not seek any selfish gains in South Asia and stands ready to play a constructive role in promoting peace and development in the sub-continent.''
Describing as a ''major progress'' in SAARC-China relations the SAARC decision to accept China as an observer, President Hu said China welcomed the positive development and was ready to enter into cooperation with the SAARC in various fields on the basis of equality and mutual benefit.
In the hour-long session, chaired by Vice President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, President Hu recalled the close historic and cultural links between India and China and said both countries were now on ''fast-track'' of social and economic development, demonstrating to the world their bright future and the promise of a revitalised Asia. He said with the combined population of 2.4 billion, two-fifths of the world's total, the course both countries charted, would have major implications for peace and development of Asia and beyond.