Beijing moves to improve ties with India and Pakistan

When Beijing hosted both the Pakistani prime minister and Indian defence minister for rare back-to-back visits this month, many observers focused on how the meetings supported China's bid to strengthen economic and military ties with South Asia.

But analysts believe stronger relationships with the two regional powers may also serve another purpose: to help pacify ethnic conflict and unrest in Tibet and Xinjiang.

The vast autonomous regions, which stretch along much of China's borders with India and Pakistan, stand to benefit from improved ties. Beijing is hoping any economic growth translates into social stability.

"If China works with our neighbours to bring about regional prosperity, this would be very useful in curing social ills," said Zhou Gancheng, director of South Asia studies at the Shanghai Institutes for International Studies.

"Separatist movements are a social ill and faster economic development would help eliminate that kind of thinking."

Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's meetings with President Xi Jinping and top Chinese leaders touched on plans for an economic corridor - consisting of a series of special economic zones, a railway and possibly a pipeline - linking Pakistan's Arabian Sea port of Gwadar to Kashgar , in resource-rich Xinjiang. Islamabad is hoping Chinese capital and technical support will help it develop hydroelectric dams and other energy sources to cope with its national energy crisis.