South Asian nations welcome China' s peaceful rise and look forward to enhancing cooperation with the world's second largest economy in diverse fields, including counter-terrorism and economic development, experts from South Asia said here Monday.

"China-Afghanistan strategic leadership has continued to grow and expand during the last six decades, embracing new areas vital to the peace and security of the region and prosperity of the two countries. One of these areas is counter-terrorism in which the two countries have been cooperating with each other closely," Sultan Ahmad Baheen, director general of Third Political Department of Afghan Foreign Ministry, said on the sidelines of an international seminar on South Asia development.

Mustafa Hyder Sayed, executive director of the Pakistan-China Institute, echoed Baheen's view, saying that Pakistan has a shared objective with China -- eliminating terrorism.

"Pakistan is also a victim of terrorism. Pakistan and China have shared future and shared objectives, because peace and prosperity can only be there when there is no violence," he said.

As a member of global coalition against terrorism, China entered into partnership with a number of countries, including Afghanistan and Pakistan, to fight the menace of international terrorism.

China and its partners have put in place a mechanism at the ministerial level for mutual consultations, sharing intelligence information, exchanging expertise and devising the ways and means to make the counter-terrorism measures more effective.

"Besides strengthening bilateral exchange of intelligence information, I think China should provide more support such as weapons and equipment to Afghan troops," Baheen said, while calling for enhanced multilateral cooperation since "terrorism is not only a threat to one country, one region, but to the whole world."

Mustafa held the view that Pakistan is an important frontline in the international fight against terrorism and that it needs China's expertise and help in counter terrorism.

China has become an important trade partner and foreign investment source of South Asian countries and has launched several initiatives to expand economic cooperation with them.

Ali Hameed, former vice foreign minister of the Maldives, said the much-anticipated 21st Century Maritime Silk Road would contribute to both trade and culture exchange between his country and China.

The Maritime Silk Road initiative would provide a great opportunity for maritime trade and transportation among all Asian countries, he said, adding that it will also be a platform for cultural exchange and an asset for academic and research- orientated endeavors.

"China's growth is a reality for the world. China's growth has been phenomenal...The whole world is benefiting from this," said Tarun Basu, chief editor and director of Indo-Asian News Service.

He suggested that instead of considering China as a potential " threat," it is more reasonable for South Asian countries to regard the growth of the world's second largest economy as an opportunity and seek cooperation with China to realize common development.

Despite the promising collaboration prospects, China and South Asian countries also have some differences to resolve, such as territory disputes.

"China and India has border disputes," said Leela Mani Paudyal, chief secretary of government of Nepal. However, besides continued dialogue to resolve the border disputes, the two countries also adopted a good policy to shelving political differences while addressing economic issues.

He said that territory disputes should not be considered an obstacle to economic contact between India and China. The economic link of the two countries will bring prosperity and stability to the South Asian region, which in turn, is conducive to the solution of the existing disputes.

His view was echoed by Ma Jiali, researcher with China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, who believes that India will continue to give priority to its relations with China as its northern neighbor has all along taken an important place in its diplomatic policy.