Strong China 'no threat to Asia'

Islamabad posters advertise the arrival of Wen (left)

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao has said Asia should not fear a stronger China.

Mr Wen was delivering the keynote address at a meeting of the 26-member Asia Cooperation Dialogue in the Pakistani capital, Islamabad.

"China will never seek hegemony," said Mr Wen, who is on his first South Asian tour since taking office last year.

Traditional allies Pakistan and China are to sign a string of accords during the visit, before Mr Wen heads on to Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and India.

He meets Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf later on Wednesday.

'Prosperity'

"Some people are worried that a stronger and more developed China would pose a threat to other countries," Mr Wen told Wednesday's meeting.

We still have a very, very long way to go before China is modernised Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao

"Such worry is completely misplaced... even if we become stronger and more developed, we will not stand in the way of others, still less become a threat to others."

He said Asia needed peace if it was to have prosperity and that China wanted free trade with other nations in the region.

Speaking earlier, Pakistan Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz had called for more investment and business ventures between forum members.

The Asia Cooperation Dialogue was set up in 2002. Members include China, India, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea and several Gulf states.

China-India ties

Mr Wen is leading a 70-strong delegation of officials and business people. Observers expect trade and investment to dominate talks.

Accords on a Chinese-funded nuclear power plant and seaport in Pakistan are expected to be signed during the visit.

On the eve of Mr Wen's visit, Pakistan's navy said it was buying four Chinese-built frigates.

The BBC's Islamabad correspondent Zaffar Abbas says China's regional policy in the last few years has undergone a big change, with India emerging as its new economic partner.

So far Chinese relations with Pakistan have not been affected, but officials in Islamabad say they will be looking for some kind of reassurance from the Chinese leader during his visit.