Beijing: China on May 3 hailed as "positive" the moves by India and Pakistan to restore full diplomatic relations and hoped that a conducive atmosphere would be created for Indo-Pak dialogue to find a peaceful solution to all problems.

"Recently, India and Pakistan have announced positive measures to improve their relations. We are pleased to see that," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Zhang Qiyue said.

"We believe that these measures will create favourable atmosphere and conditions for the resumption of dialogue between the two countries," Zhang said when asked to comment on Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee's decision to send a High Commissioner to Islamabad and restore air links on a reciprocal basis.

India and Pakistan are both friendly neighbours of China and "We sincerely hope that the two nations will resolve their differences peacefully through dialogues and jointly contribute to peace, stability and development in the South Asian region," Zhang said.

Earlier, China's top leader and chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC) Jiang Zemin had said, "South Asia is an important part of Asia and without its stability and development, there will be no peace and prosperity for the whole of Asia.

"China is willing to maintain and develop good-neighbourly and friendly relations with all South Asian countries," Jiang said, adding Beijing hopes the South Asian nations can live in harmony and realise long-term peace, stability and development.

PTI