Tokyo: China today confirmed that President Hu Jintao will take part in an extended summit here next month of the Group of Eight major industrial nations, a Japanese official said.

Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi, in Tokyo for talks with his Japanese and South Korean counterparts, confirmed to Japan for the first time that Hu would attend, a Japanese foreign ministry official said.

Japan's Foreign Minister Masahiko Komura responded that he was "very pleased", the official, said on customary condition of anonymity.

The Group of Eight - Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia and the United States - will hold their annual summit on July 7-9 in the northern Japanese resort of Toyako.

In line with recent G8 meetings, Japan has called for "outreach" events to bringing in leaders of other major nations.

For the climate change meeting on July 9,Japan invited leaders of India, Australia, Brazil, China, Indonesia, Mexico, South Korea and South Africa.

It has also invited eight nations - Algeria, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa and Tanzania - to take part in a summit on African development on July 7.

Hu visited Japan last month in only the second trip ever to Tokyo by a Chinese head of state.

Asia s two largest economies have been working to repair relations long scarred by memories of Japan s past aggression.

Source : PTI