Amid disputes, U.S. seeks common ground with China

WASHINGTON — The Obama administration faces a sea of obstacles, setbacks and conflicts with China as Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton heads to the emerging global powerhouse Saturday for talks.

The two countries, with a long history of mutual antagonism, are at odds over many big issues: from currency and trade policy to the U.S. naval dominance of the Asia-Pacific region, from U.S. arms sales to Taiwan to China's human rights record and its territorial disputes in the South China Sea.

But the Obama administration says it has not given up on building stronger bonds with Beijing, one of the world's fastest growing economic and military powers.

In a speech in Honolulu Thursday, Clinton talked tough, lumping China with North Korea and Myanmar as sources of concern about "deep-seated challenges" facing the Asia-Pacific region.

She also urged Beijing to become the United States' partner in tackling a number of regional and global challenges.

Despite the stormy U.S.-China relationship, Drew Thompson, director of China studies at the Nixon Center in Washington, sees the administration taking a stay-the-course approach overall.

"It's only the Chinese who are down" about the rocky side of the relationship, Thompson said in an interview Thursday.

Kurt Campbell, the State Department's top Asia policy official, said it is vital for the U.S. to maintain "cool-headed" diplomacy with China.

"We all understand the stakes involved and the importance for a positive, constructive and, frankly, a relationship with a degree of confidence between the United States and China going forward," he said Tuesday in describing Clinton's China visit.

Clinton was in Hanoi, Vietnam, on Friday. She planned to meet with the Chinese foreign minister there on Saturday before making a brief visit to China's Hainan Island with her Chinese counterpart, State Councilor Dai Bingguo. Their talks are intended to raise some of the issues dividing the two countries and pave the way for President Hu Jintao's visit to Washington early next year.

Beijing's growing economic might and more assertive role on the world stage make its support crucial to many of President Barack Obama's priorities — including halting the global spread of nuclear arms.

China is seen as the key to persuading North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons program. China's dependence on Iranian oil for its rapidly industrializing economy makes it crucial to the success of U.N. sanctions aimed at forcing Iran to negotiate over its nuclear program.