From correspondents in Beijing, China, 07:03 PM IST

China Tuesday said it believes India will take effective measures to ensure a smooth and safe Olympic torch relay in New Delhi April 17.

'We believe that the relay (in New Delhi) will gain the support and cooperation of all Indians and they will take effective measures to ensure its smooth and safe run,' foreign ministry spokesperson Jiang Yu told reporters.

New Delhi will be the 11th leg of the relay, following the torch's run in Islamabad.

Jiang stressed that if any 'Tibetan independence' organisations try to create disturbances during the relay in India, they would once again reveal the separatist and disruptive nature of their movement.

Jiang noted that China and India have maintained a good momentum to the development of bilateral relations, and have conducted close exchanges and contacts.

(Staff Writer, © IANS)