Obama: Strong relationship with China is "vital"

President Obama meets with Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping, in the Oval Office on Feb., 14, 2012.

/ AP Photo/Susan Walsh

At the highest levels of the U.S. Government today, they pulled out all the stops to welcome the man deemed to be China's next president.

"It is absolutely vital that we have a strong relationship with China," President Obama told Vice President Xi Jinping, in line to succeed Hu Jintao as China's leader when he steps down in 2013.

Mr. Obama said the U.S. welcomes "China's peaceful rise" in the world which he said can promote international stability and prosperity.

But at the same time, the president gently raised U.S. concerns about some of China's trade and economic policies as well its breaches of human rights.

"We want to work with china to make sure that everybody is working by the same rules of the road when it comes to the world economic system," Mr. Obama told Xi during a photo op in the Oval Office.

China's likely next leader in U.S. at testy time

He also said that on "critical issues like human rights," the U.S. will continue to emphasize to China the aspirations and rights of all people.

Outside the White House, there were protests demonstrating against China's oppressive policies in Tibet and arrests of political prisoners.

Xi is in the U.S. at the invitation of Vice President Biden, whom Xi hosted in China last August.

They held two hours of talks at the White House before Biden took him into the Oval Office for a sit down with the president.

"The Vice President and I reached some new consensus," Xi reported to the president, but did not elaborate.

Biden told his Chinese counterpart that the U.S. and China are not always going to see eye to eye, "but we have very important economic and political concerns that warrant we work together."

Xi said he had been looking forward to "in depth discussions" with both American leaders. His get-together with the U.S. president and vice president are seen in the power councils of Beijing as giving him the diplomatic street creds to reinforce his position as next in the line of succession.

Xi will also be visiting Iowa and Los Angeles during his U.S. visit. Mr. Obama said he hoped Xi got to see a Lakers game, as he is reputed to be a fan of American basketball.

[Iwasaproudamerican]

I thought the Chinese were communists.

[nonpolitico]

The Chinese have a society which puts much emphasis on "Face".
Obama is the President of the most powerful nation on earth, whatever your views about him.
The Chinese send across??? Their VICE President!
A snub!
Next time the Chines want USA to arrange a visit to THEM, the State Department should send Hillary!!
1. She is NOT the President.
2. She is a Woman!
3. That would be seen as a riposte to their sending their Second in Command.
Although, as China is now in the throes of THEIR presidential election at the moment....they have already selected him, it just means they have to get the Politburo to arrange when the New man gets "elected".Yet the Left wing media seem to drool over the type of politician that China represents..why do you think they love Obama?
As for the Chinese having SAMs pointing at Taiwan...what do you think the USA has supplied to Taiwan to counter this, tommy guns???

[HarryOrielly]

Does VP Chi know about the incredible Obama HOAX- the only president in history to hide his past history- he even surrendered his LAW license to avoid investigation of his past- and the only president with an alias name- "BARRY SOETORO" is NOT an honest man but a master swindler- because he has the backing of super-rich power moguls who control him & the newsmedia and spent millions in covering up his secretive (criminal) past- Obama is a FRAUD who has deceived America-

[venusvegasvada]

He looks like Newt Gingrich from the Neck down.

Hey, when you have him in LA ask him if the Chinese food there is better than back home or not.

[cattiej]

China has spies everywhere but no need when Obama is around...he would kiss the ground they walk on. I am so sick of everything we buy being made in China....China will overthrow our government soon as they have already placed America is a sad state of finincial mess by loaning our government trillions of dollars..they laugh all the way to the bank...the best we can hope for is that the people of China who are slaves and are making the products we have bought at the Walmart, KMarts etc over throw their government. China will and probably already is the richest country in the world...while we sit at home watching TV, texting etc..they are busy making money....Obama is stupid to entertain this guy, the smile on his face says it all....he is thinking was a stupid man and I wonder if how I will decorate the White House when we take over.

[Bojax39]

If you want to play pat-a-cake with the Red Chinese, knock yourself out. BUT bring our damned jobs back home first. That way we can be China's friend from a position of economic strength instead of being a pack of pathetic consuming losers.

[tiredofeverything]

Sorry Obama, must disagree with you here.
China has shown again and again and again, they are no friend of the west.
Constantly hacking our systems, continually spying, and doing whatever they can to undermine our economy.

I'm Canadian, but I know full well they've been doing this to America too.

20 years ago, China was a sworn enemy of the west.
Today, nothing has changed.
'We' (corporations) want to do business with China because of insatiable greed, but all the reasons we used to refuse to do business with China haven't changed. At all.

[askagain]

The Chinese leader is smiling but why is Obama smiling after selling our future to the Chinese. Was the price right? It won't be long before we and our children will all be working for the Chiness. Just think. The Chinese are succeeding without one shot being fired. Perhaps that is why Obama is so happy in this photo.