Thursday, April 21 2005 15:46 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Beijing: Chinese President Hu Jintao is likely to meet for the first time with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the sidelines of the Asian-African Summit in Indonesia, as part of the high-level contacts to enhance bilateral ties, official sources said in Beijing today (Apr 21, 2005).

"The meeting is very much on the cards," Indian Ambassador to China, Nalin Surie said in Beijing when asked about the possibility of Hu's meeting with Singh on the sidelines of the Asian-African Summit in Jakarta.

Hu and Singh are among the top leaders attending the Asian-African Summit 2005 and the Commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Asian-African Conference of 1955 that will take place respectively in Jakarta on 22-23 April and in Bandung on the 24 April 2005.

The u-Singh meeting will take place soon after a successful State visit to India by Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao to India.

On Wednesday (Apr 20, 2005) Singh said in the Lok Sabha that Wen's visit to India from April 9-12, was "substantive in its outcome."

During Wen's visit, New Delhi has extended an invitation to Hu, also general secretary of the ruling Communist Party of China, to visit India.