China on Tuesday hoped that Pakistan's request to join the high-profile security club Asean Regional Forum (ARF) will be finally accepted.
A senior Chinese official said that China fully supports Pakistan's membership and believes its inclusion in the forum will help promote peace and security in the region.
The Association of South East Asian Nations has already lifted its moratorium on accepting new members. Talking to APP, the official said almost all member countries have agreed to accept Pakistan as a new participant in the ARF.
He said some members in the Asean group like China were keen to include Pakistan in the ARF to make the fight against terrorism more effective.
According to diplomatic sources, if membership is formally approved, Pakistan is likely to attend the ministerial-level meeting, scheduled to take place in Jakarta early July.
Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali had received a "positive response" during his recent Southeast Asian tour for Pakistan's entry into the regional security form.
All the three countries, Laos, Cambodia and Thailand reiterated their support to Pakistan to become a member of the ARF and establish full dialogue partnership with Asean.
Pakistan has been campaigning to join Asean's security grouping of 23 countries, but its move has been blocked in the past by India, already an ARF member.
According to reports, senior officials from the member countries of the regional forum would be meeting in Yogyakarta, Indonesia on Wednesday to decide the issues relating to the new membership.
The ARF includes Asean members plus India, Australia, Canada, China, the European Union (EU), Japan, Mongolia, New Zealand, North Korea, South Korea, Papua New Guinea, Russia and the United States.
The aims and purposes of the Association are: (i) to accelerate the economic growth, social progress and cultural development in the region through joint endeavours in the spirit of equality and partnership in order to strengthen the foundation for a prosperous and peaceful community of Southeast Asian nations, and (ii) to promote regional peace and stability through abiding respect for - justice and the rule of law in the relationship among countries in the region and adherence to the principles of the United Nations Charter.
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