"We would like to see India play a bigger role at the UN as well as the Security Council," said China's envoy to New Delhi, Sun Yuxi.

But Sun stopped short of expressing any direct support for India's candidature for a permanent UN Security Council seat.

"People in the UN are now discussing it (expansion of the UN Security Council)... there are many different ideas...I don't want to make any specific remark on that... I don't want to influence it in any way," he said.

Japan, India, Germany and Brazil have launched a joint bid to win permanent seats on the Security Council. Veto-wielding power is currently in the hands of five powers -- Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States -- in a system rewarding the winners of World War II.

Meanwhile, Sun said the border between India and China, which has been at the heart of a decades-old dispute, should become a "bridge" for friendship between Asia's two most populous countries.

"Our major effort is to keep our border as peaceful and tranquil areas," Sun said.

"We have a common border. We want that the border becomes a bridge for exchanges and friendship," he said.

India and China fought a brief but bitter border war in 1962 and have not established a formal ceasefire line since then.

New Delhi accuses Beijing of occupying 38,000 square kilometres (14,670 square miles) of territory in Kashmir while Beijing claims 90,000 square kilometres -- all of Arunachal Pradesh state.

On Friday, Sun said Arunachal Pradesh was "a disputed area" between India and China.

In recent years, New Delhi and Beijing have played down their territorial dispute to focus on improving commercial and other ties.

Relations improved dramatically after a visit to China by then-prime minister Atal Behari Vajpayee in 2003, during which India acknowledged Tibet as a part of China and Beijing gave up its territorial claim over the tiny Indian state of Sikkim.

Earlier India has firmly ruled out accepting membership of the expanded UN Security Council without veto power, saying sans veto, new members would not be able to fulfil the mandate of the General Assembly efficiently.

Responding to suggestions at a meeting attended by diplomats from more than 150 countries in United Nations on Thursday, India's ambassador to UN Nirupam Sen said both in terms of decision-making and in legal constitutional terms, "We cannot accept any discrimination between permanent members."

The meeting was organised by India, Japan, Germany and Brazil, a grouping named G-4 formed to mount pressure on UNSC.