CRI听力:China Pledges Increased Engagement with SAARC

The Chinese government says it hopes to increase its ties with South Asia by increasing trade and investment to the region.

China's Deputy Foreign Minister, Liu Zhenmin, has made the pledge while attending the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation, or SAARC, Summit in the Nepalese capital of Katmandu this week.

In making the commitment, the Chinese side has announced plans to offer South Asian countries 30 billion U.S. dollars worth of road construction assistance, along with providing 10-thousand scholarships and 5-thousand training opportunities for countries in SAARC.

China has been a SAARC observer since 2006.

Meanwhile, Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is calling for more cooperation and trust in the region.

"My vision for our region is a dispute-free South Asia where instead of fighting each other we jointly fight poverty, illiteracy, disease, malnourishment and unemployment. We invest in our youth to unleash their creativity, talent and enterprise. We need a bond of trust so that we can solve our problems."

The two day summit in Katmandu concludes later today.