Chinese Vice Foreign Minister He Yafei is visiting Islamabad in an effort to ease the prevailing tensions between Pakistan and India in the wake of last month's Mumbai terror attacks.

He, as a special envoy of the Chinese government, arrived in Pakistan on Sunday evening and hold talks with Pakistani Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir upon his arrival.

He met with Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi and army chief Ashfaq Parvez Kayani separately on Monday. He is also expected to meet with Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani.

He's visit came when Pakistan-India tensions were heightened as the Indian side accused Pakistan-based militant groups of involvement in the Mumbai terror attacks, which killed more than 170.

The tensions between the two countries has put the four-year peace process on hold.

Kayani, while meeting with the Chinese envoy, "highlighted the need to de-escalate and avoid conflict in the interest of peace and security in the region," the official Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) said.

In the talks with Bashir, He expressed hopes that Pakistan and India could ease tensions as soon as possible and properly solve problems through consultations and cooperation.

(Xinhua News Agency December 29, 2008)