War, conflict biggest obstacles to development in SAsia: China

China today said war and conflict are the biggest obstacles to development in South Asia and called for the peaceful resolution of disputes in the region.
"China is willing to work with our neighbours, including South Asian countries, to achieve lasting peace in the region," Vice President Li Yuanchao said without referring to any specific country.
War and conflict are the biggest obstacles to the development of South Asia and lasting peace is the common aspiration of its people, he said. Good relations with neighbours is a priority of China's foreign policy, he added.
Li called for dialogue and consultation to peacefully solve disputes rather than resorting to force, and said all countries should expand mutually beneficial cooperation and accelerate connectivity to forge a tightly integrated community of interests.

Faced with important opportunities for development, China and South Asia should make joint efforts to safeguard peace, adhere to independence and self-empowerment, oppose external interference and the big and strong bullying the small and weak, Li said.
He was speaking at a forum to mark the International Day of Peace in Kunming, the capital of southwestern China's Yunnan Province. The day, which falls on September 21, is established by the UN General Assembly as an annual day of non-violence and ceasefire.
The forum, launched by the Chinese People's Association for Peace and Disarmament, UN System in China and the Yunnan provincial government, was attended by officials and experts from South Asian countries and UN staff, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.