China welcomed the positive progress in the talks between India and Pakistan, said Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao here Tuesday at a regular press conference.

Indian Minister for External Affairs Pranab Mukherjee concluded on Jan. 14 his two-day visit to Pakistan, where he held talks with his Pakistani counterpart Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri. The two sides agreed to launch the fourth round of Composite Dialogue on March 13-14 in Islamabad, and hold the first meeting of the joint anti-terrorism mechanism before the end of March.

When asked to make comments on the talks, Liu said China, as the common neighbor, friend and partner of India and Pakistan, sincerely hoped that the two nations would solve their disputes through friendly consultation, so as to jointly promote peace and prosperity in South Asia.

Source: Xinhua