Obama Sits Down With Chinese Leader

Jeremy Jordan arrives at the 66th Annual Tony Awards on Sunday June 10, 2012, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini /Invision/AP) / Evan Agostini

President Barack Obama and Chinese President Hu Jintao offered each other diplomatic assurances Tuesday at a testy time in their nations' complex relationship.

Obama said he was looking forward to visiting China in November, a trip that has long been expected as part of Obama's trip to Asia to attend a forum of Asia-Pacific leaders in Singapore.

"I'm committed to pursuing a genuinely cooperative and comprehensive relationship with China," Obama said, seated across a long table from his Chinese counterpart. "We need to make our relationship more dynamic and effective."

For his part, Hu said: "The Chinese side is willing to work with the United States to keep our bilateral relationship firmly along the right course." He said that included finding a way to "properly handle sensitive issues."

The two leaders sat down together on the sidelines of United Nations meetings just days after the U.S. slapped punitive tariffs on all Chinese-made tire imports. The move infuriated China at a time when Obama wants Beijing's help on climate change and nuclear standoffs with Iran and North Korea.

There was no direct mention of the flare-up by either leader Tuesday.

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[stuart-johns]

Well I'll agree that tensions must be high. But China needs us as much as we need them.

[bubbadubba]

I bet relations are tense with China.
China is used to Daddy Bush and baby Bush letting them run all over the US and destroy our manufacturing base.
Obama has the guts to stand up to the Chinese and they are shocked.