New Delhi
21 October 2009
"All subjects of immediate interest" to India and China are expected to be
discussed in Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's likely meeting with Chinese Premier
Wen Jiabao on the margins of the Fourth East Asia Summit in Thailand over the
weekend, an Indian diplomat said.
N Ravi, Secretary (East) in the Ministry of External Affairs, told a news conference here
Wednesday that a bilateral meeting between the two leaders is being worked out. Asked
if the two leaders would discuss the boundary issue, Mr Ravi said that "relations
between India and any other country including China covers wide range of subjects of
mutual interest."
Beijing was less circumspect on the possibility of the meeting. Chinese Assistant
Foreign Minister Hu Zhengyue told reporters in the Chinese capital Wednesday that
Premier Wen and Prime Minister Singh will meet in Thailand during which they will
discuss "bilateral relations, and regional and international issues".
"This meeting between the two prime ministers is a very important one," Hu said. "There
has been good progress in our bilateral relationship and
we hope this momentum can be sustained."
Last week, Premier Wen had conveyed to Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas
Murli Deora his desire to meet with Prime Minister Singh. Mr Deora visited Beijing for a
Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meeting.
Prime Minister Singh will participate in the Seventh ASEAN - India Summit on Saturday
and the Fourth East Asia Summit on Sunday, to be held in the Thai coastal city of Hua
Hin.
The meeting will come in the backdrop of Beijing raking up its claim over Arunachal
Pradesh and questioning Prime Minister Singh's visit to the state on October 3 and India
hitting back on Chinese plans to involve in infrastructure projects in Pakistan-Occupied
Kashmir (PoK).
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