Beijing - German Chancellor Angela Merkel arrived in China on Thursday for talks that were expected to focus on the global financial crisis.

Merkel was scheduled to meet Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao later in the day before the two leaders join some 40 other heads of state at the biannual Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) on Friday and Saturday.

German officials said the fact that Merkel was one of the few foreign leaders making a formal state visit to China for the ASEM summit showed the importance of ties between the two nations.

She is scheduled to meet President Hu Jintao on Friday.

Two rights groups appealed to Merkel to raise the situation of China's Tibetan and Uighur minorities during her meetings in Beijing.

Beijing, Oct 23 : Indian Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh is scheduled to meet his Pakistani counterpart Yousuf Raza Gilani here on Friday on the sidelines of the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) summit.

The two leaders will meet to review the progress being made to promote bilateral understanding and co-operation to resolve disputes including Kashmir, the Daily Times quoted a senior Pakistani official as telling a foreign news agency.

The two leaders will likely meet at the Great Hall of the People in the afternoon, after the summit’s opening session.

Beijing - Leaders of Asian and European Union nations arrived in China on Thursday ahead of a summit that is expected to be dominated by the global financial crisis.

European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso arrived in Beijing late Thursday morning, while Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Finnish President Tarja Halonen were among several leaders who held bilateral meetings with Chinese President Hu Jintao earlier on Thursday.

The largest ever gathering of Asian and European leaders takes place on Friday and Saturday with 27 European and 16 Asian nations represented.

Beijing - International activist groups urged German Chancellor Angela Merkel Thursday to raise the issue of Tibet during her visit to China.

"At this critical juncture in relations between Europe and China, Chancellor Merkel must press Chinese President Hu Jintao for tangible results from the dialogue between the Dalai Lama's representatives and Chinese officials," said Kate Saunders of the London-based International Campaign for Tibet.

Beijing - German Chancellor Angela Merkel arrived in China on Thursday for talks that were expected to focus on the global financial crisis.

Merkel was scheduled to meet Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao later in the day before the two leaders join some 40 other heads of state at the biannual Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) on Friday and Saturday.

German officials said the fact that Merkel was one of the few foreign leaders making a formal state visit to China for the ASEM summit showed the importance of ties between the two nations.

Berlin - Chancellor Angela Merkel is to raise human-rights issues when she speaks to Chinese leaders, one of her spokesman said Wednesday before she departed for Beijing.

Deputy spokesman Thomas Steg said meetings with Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao and President Hu Jintao as well as with civic groups would offer an occasion to do so.

"She'll bring it up," he said.

The trip to attend the ASEM summit between European and Asian nations will be Merkel's third to China as chancellor.