NEW DELHI, April 12 (Xinhuanet) -- China holds a positive view on promoting cooperation in South Asia and strengthening the role of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said here Tuesday.

    When meeting representatives of the Indian news media, Wen said China hopes to cooperate with South Asia in promoting peace and stability in South Asia.

    China welcomes cooperation between India and international organizations such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, he said.

    China also values India's aspiration to build up relations with the "ten plus three" (the Association of Southeast Asian Nations plus China, Japan and South Korea), he said.

    On relations with Russia and India, Wen said China holds a positive view on the exchange of views with the two neighbors on issues of common concern.

    He said that China, India and Russia, as influential countries in the world, have similar views on promoting democratization in international relations and safeguarding international security and stability.

    Wen particularly mentioned that cooperation between the three countries is not leading to the formation of an alliance and is not directed against any third country.

    China understands and supports a bigger role of India in the international affairs and the United Nations, said the premier.

    He added that China attaches importance to the important role India has played in the international affairs, as India is an important developing country with a large population.

    As for relations with Japan, Wen noted that only if a nation respects and is responsible for history and wins the trust of other peoples in Asia and the rest of the world, can it play a bigger role in the international community.

    "The core issue of Sino-Japanese relations is that Japan should treat history correctly," Wen said.

    He said Japan launched a war of aggression last century, which brought about huge sufferings to the people of China, other Asian nations and rest of the world.

    Recently, demonstrations erupted in China and other countries against Japan's distortion of its wartime history. "The strong reactions from Asian peoples should be reviewed by the Japanese authorities," Wen said.

    He said the two sides should learn from history and face up to the future to continue to develop the relationship between China and Japan.

    On trade cooperation, Wen said China develops cooperation with South Asia according to the situation of different countries.

    Wen said that over 50 documents were signed during his visit to four South Asian countries most of them related to economic and trade cooperation.

    He said China develops economic and trade relations with South Asia based on quality and mutual benefit and the two sides have great potential in this regard although the scale of the economic and trade cooperation is still small.

    Wen said China will expand high-tech cooperation with India, adding that India has an advantage in software while China is good at manufacturing and hardware.

    On Pakistan, he said, China will further the cooperation on infrastructure and mining.

    For Sri Lanka, he said, besides economic and trade cooperation, China will make all efforts to give aid.

    The Chinese government extended 166 million yuan (20 million US dollars) in aid to Sri Lanka. On Wen's visit, he brought another 8.7 million US dollars donated by the Chinese people to Sri Lanka.

    China will help Sri Lanka build roads, railways and ports and will set up a earthquake monitoring system, Wen said.

    For Bangladesh, China will promote agricultural cooperation with the country, Wen said.

    Wen left Tuesday for Beijing after a "highly successful" four-day visit to India marked by the beginning of a strategic partnership between the two Asian giants. Prior to India, he has already visited Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. Enditem