Manmohan Singh hosts private dinner for visiting Chinese Premier

NEW DELHI - The Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, hosted a private dinner for the visiting Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao here today ahead of the delegation level talks scheduled for Thursday during which several agreements are expected to be signed between the two nations.

According to sources, the dinner was attended by a limited number of guests, including some senior cabinet ministers and some top officials.

There will be a ceremonial welcome for Premier Jiabao at the Rashtrapati Bhavan on Thursday.

External Affairs Minister S M Krishna will later in the day call on Wen Jiabao at Hotel Taj Palace.

The Chinese Premier will meet the Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, at around 11: 30 a.m. There would be delegation level talks later during which several agreements are expected to be signed between the two nations.

Wen Jiabao will be accompanied by the Minister of Foreign Affairs Yang Jiechi; Minister of Culture Cai Wu; Minister for Transport Li Shenglin; Minister for Policy Planning and State Council Xie Wuzhan; Vice-Ministers; senior officials; and a large business delegation.

During the delegation-level talks, Dr. Singh would be assisted by Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, External Affairs Minister S. M. Krishna, Union Human Resource and Development (HRD) Minister Kapil Sibal, Union Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma, Union Water Resources Minister Meira Kumar, Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Jyotiraditya Scindia, Principal Secretary to Prime Minister T K A Nair, National Security Advisor Shivshankar Menon, Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao, Indian Ambassador in Beijing, Gautam Bambawale, and other senior officials.

After his meeting with Dr. Manmohan Singh, Premier Jiabao would be addressing the Indian Council for World Affairs at Sapru House on India-China relations.

Later, the visiting dignitary will call on Vice President Mohammad Hamid Ansari. He is also expected to meet Congress President Sonia Gandhi around 5: 05 p.m. on Thursday.

Wen Jiabao will call on President Pratibha Devisingh Patil on Thursday evening, and later attend the closing event of the Chinese Festival in India to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two sides.

Sushma Swaraj, the leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, will call on the Chinese Premier at 10: 00 a.m. on Friday.

Wen Jiabao will emplane for Islamabad at 11: a.m. the same day. (ANI)