Chinese Vice FM to attend NAM summit in Egypt

BEIJING, July 14 -- Chinese Vice Foreign Minister He Yafei is

heading a governmental delegation to attend the 15th Non-Aligned Movement (NAM)

summit on July 15 and 16 in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, Foreign Ministry spokesman

Qin Gang said Tuesday.

Founded in September 1961, the NAM groups 118 member states, 16observer

countries and nine observer organizations.

The movement, which represents nearly two-thirds of United Nations member

countries and comprises 55 percent of the world population, focuses on striving

for the interests of developing countries.

China became an observer to the NAM in September 1992 and has been a

participant at every top meeting.

Qin told a regular press conference that China was glad to see a meeting

between leaders of Pakistan and India at the sidelines of the summit.

Before embarking on his trip to the summit, Pakistan's Prime Minister Syed

Yusuf Raza Gilani Tuesday said he would hold talks with his Indian counterpart

Manmohan Singh on the sidelines of the summit in a bid to restart the stalled

peace process with "an open mind."

"We are glad to see the meeting between the two states' leaders," Qin said

when asked to comment.

India and Pakistan were both neighbors of China and China was glad to

witness the two states improve ties through negotiations and talks, which would

benefit peace, stability and common development in South Asia, Qin said.