Obama prods China to take global role on climate

Ambassador Jon M. Huntsman, Jr.'s blog on Obama's trip: http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2009/11/15/presidents-trip-china

Also, Newsweek writes about Obama's man in China: Ambassador Jon Huntsman. Read it here.

BEIJING — Aiming beyond mere rivalry, President Barack Obama declared Monday in his first visit to China that the U.S. and the Chinese carry a "burden of leadership" as he meets with President Hu Jintao to confront climate change, nuclear proliferation and other urgent global problems. Economic and trade tensions shadowed their talks.

Obama is strongly suggesting that China, now a giant in economic impact as well as territory, must take a bigger role on such issues as global warming. He is also prodding the Chinese on freedom and Internet controls.

"I will tell you, other countries around the world will be waiting for us," Obama said in an American-style town-hall discussion with Chinese university students in Shanghai, where he spent a day before flying to China's capital for a state visit with President Hu.

As China moves haltingly toward greater global activity, Obama said, "That is the burden of leadership that both of our countries now carry."

Eager to achieve a successful summit, the two leaders were likely to avoid public spats on economic issues. With America's budget deficit soaring to a yearly record of $1.42 trillion, China is the No. 1 lender to Washington and has expressed concern that the falling price of the dollar threatens the value of its U.S. holdings.

In the U.S., American manufacturers blame China's own low currency value for contributing to the loss of 5.6 million manufacturing jobs over the past decade. During that time, America's trade gap with China has soared.

Obama was greeted at Beijing's airport by Vice President Xi Jinping, a red carpet lined by soldiers in dress uniforms and a dusting of snow on the grass. He had brief talks and a private dinner with Hu on the graceful grounds of the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse.

In brief remarks before the initial talks, Hu noted Obama's Shanghai meeting with students, calling the session "quite lively."

Obama smiled broadly throughout the welcoming remarks, then told Hu that "the world recognizes the importance of the U.S.-Chinese relationship" in tackling global problems.