President Hu Jintao said he has hopes for a positive outcome between representatives of the Dalai Lama and Chinese officials at talks that began Sunday the first since violent anti-government protests erupted inTibetin March.

I hope that the contacts with the Dalai Lama's side from today will yield a positive outcome," Hu told Japanese reporters in Beijing, the Kyodo News agency reported.

Samdhong Rinpoche, prime minister of the Tibetan govem-ment-in-exile based in Dharmsala, India, said the envoys have arrived in the southern city of Shenzhen and talks began Sunday rooming. He'said he didn't know any other details.

The talks were scheduled to last for a day or two, he said.

"We are positive that something good will come out of it," Samdhong Rinpoche told The Associated Press.

A report by China's official Xinhua News Agency confirmed the Dalai

Lama's envoys, Lodi Gyari and Kelsang Gyaltsen, would meet with two vice ministers of the United Front Work Department, Zhu Weiqun and Sita, who are designated to deal with influential people in groups outside China's Communist Party.

The meeting location was not announced but a large group of reporters from Japan and Hong Kong were staking out a gated devel-opment of villas where high-ranking leaders are known to stay in a leafy suburb of Shenzhen.