President Hu Jintao will meet with his US counterpart, President Barack Obama, at the Group of Eight meeting in L'Aquila, Italy, next week, according to a White House official.

While China isn't a member of the G8, Obama will have a sideline meeting with Hu, US National Security Council spokesman Denis McDonough told reporters in a conference call in Washington. The two presidents had their first and only meeting April 1 in London before the Group of 20 summit.

Talks at the G8 gathering will center on assessing the economic recovery "and what further steps may be necessary to restore the global economy to balance growth," Michael Froman, Obama's deputy national security adviser for international economics, told reporters today.

He said talks also will include "how do we come out of this recovery in a way that doesn't go back to boom-and-bust cycles" and instead chart a course for steady growth.

"This will be more about exchanging views" than making sweeping announcements or "specific deliverables," he said.

The G8 includes the UK, France, Germany, Canada and Russia, in addition to the US and Italy.

Leaders also will confer on climate change, trade and economic security. More than 20 nations will be represented, accounting for about 75 percent of the global economy.

(Agencies?via?China Daily July 2, 2009)