Berlin - German Chancellor Angela Merkel will meet Chinese President Hu Jintao on the fringe of the Group of Eight summit in the Italian town of L'Aquila, German officials said Tuesday. The clashes between security forces and ethnic minority Uighurs in China's far western region of Xinjiang, which claimed more than 150 lives, are expected to be a topic of the talks, the officials said.
Merkel is expected to tell Hu of the need to allow ethnic minorities to maintain their cultural identities and traditions within the scope of a "one-China" policy.
She is also expected to condemn the high casualties and stress the right of people to press for freedom of expression and democratic rights as long as they did this peacefully.
The meeting with Hu is one of five bilateral sessions Merkel will be holding with world leaders travelling to Italy for the G8 gathering.
She has also scheduled talks with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, South Africa President Jacob Zuma, Brazilian President Luiz Lula da Silva and Mexican President Felipe Calderon.
