British Prime Minister Tony Blair will arrive in Beijing Sunday evening for an three-day official visit to China at the invitation of Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao.

Blair is expected to visit Shanghai and Hong Kong as well as Beijing.

Blair will meet Chinese President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao on Monday.

"The two sides will exchange in-depth views on bilateral relations, and regional and international issues of common concern," Foreign Ministry spokesman Kong Quan said during a press briefing.

Kong said the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) nuclear issue, one of the most important regional and international matters of discussion, will be one of the topics for Chinese leaders and Blair.

The British Prime Minister will also give a speech to students and staffs at the Tsinghua University.

Blair is on a three-nation tour to East Asia's Japan, South Korea, and China. The British Prime Minister arrived in Seoul Sunday afternoon and was slated to hold a summit meeting with South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun later Sunday.

High on the agenda of the summit is reportedly to be DPRK's nuclear issue and ways to promote cooperation between the two countries.

A joint press conference is to be held after Blair and Roh's discussion. After he winds up his 7-hour working visit in Seoul, Blair will depart for Beijing in the evening to kick off a three-day China visit.

(People's Daily July 20, 2003)