Manmohan-Wen meeting 'very important': China

BEIJING: China on Wednesday described the forthcoming meeting between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Chinese premier Wen Jiabo on the sidelines of the Asean Summit in Thailand this week as a "very important" one.

The two leaders will discuss "bilateral relations, and regional and international issues", Chinese assistant foreign minister Hu Zhengyue told reporters in Beijing.

"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," he said.

Officials from both countries have been busy for over a week working out the formalities of the proposed meeting. The meeting will take place in the backdrop of some serious relationship problem with China offering to support a hydroelectricity project in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir and opposing Singh���s recent visit to Arunachal Pradesh.

China regards Arunachal Pradesh as part of its own territory and is also opposing the Dalai Lama���s proposed visit to the area.