New Delhi: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh met Chinese President Hu Jintao on the sidelines of the G-8 summit meeting in Japan on Tuesday.
Reports say that he sought Chinese support for the Indo-US nuclear deal during his 30-minute meeting with Hu.
A day before his meeting with US president Bush, the bilateral with China proves crucial. Apart from the N-deal, the Indian entourage is expected to raise issues of Chinese transgression into Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh.
The Prime Minister has not stated when India would go to the Vienna-based nuclear watchdog for concluding the safeguards agreement. However, reports said the matter would come before the IAEA board of governors on July 28.
Once there is an agreement with the IAEA, the case will go to the nuclear suppliers group for waiver to enable the country to get nuclear fuel supplies and high-end technology.
In the meeting, China also condemned the suicide bombing on the Indian embassy in Afghanistan in which 41 people, including two Indian diplomats and two ITBP personnel, were killed.
"We strongly denounce the terrorist attack on the Indian embassy. I sincerely express my heartfelt condolences to the families of those killed in the bombing in Afghanistan," Chinese President Hu Jintao told Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
Hu Jintao also thanked the government and people of India for its help in relief and reconstruction in the Sichuan province of China, which had suffered a massive earthquake recently. He recalled that India had given USD five million for assistance.
The prime minister reiterated India's profound condolences and sympathy for those affected in the earthquake and said he had no doubt that the Chinese people had the capability to overcome the impact of the disaster.
In this measure, he said, India had been privileged to offer small help. He also expressed India's deep admiration for the way the Chinese handled the earthquake.
With PTI inputs
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