China's next leader Xi Jinping visits White House

WASHINGTON — Washington is getting its first hard look at Xi Jinping, the man destined to lead China in the coming decade, during which the global powers probably will see their economic ties grow even as they are viewed increasingly as military rivals.

Vice President Xi is set to replace the staid Hu Jintao as Communist Party leader late this year, then succeed him as president in 2013. Xi, 58, is viewed as more personable, and while his trip is unlikely to herald any policy changes it may signal his leadership style.

Xi arrived Monday, and the highlight of his full four days in America was to be an Oval Office meeting Tuesday with President Barack Obama. That is a year after a bells-and-whistles state visit by Hu that helped set a positive tone in 2011 for U.S.-China ties.

There since have been bumps along the way, however, and Xi's visit will give the Obama administration a chance to press familiar issues with China, including its worsening treatment of dissidents, the unrest in Tibet and the vast U.S.-China trade imbalance.

Much of Xi's visit will be in the company of Vice President Joe Biden, who went to China as Xi's guest in August.

Xi also will meet with Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, who will be hoping to inject some vigor into halfhearted ties between their two militaries. Washington will need to convince a skeptical Beijing that a U.S. "pivot" in its foreign relations to emphasize the economically booming Asia-Pacific region is not aimed at containing the rise of China — which, in turn, needs to convince the U.S. and many Asian nations that they need not fear its two-decade military buildup.

Also on the agenda: North Korea, Iran and Syria, following China's decision last week to join Russia in vetoing a U.N. Security Council resolution pressuring Syrian President Bashar Assad's government over its violent crackdown on opponents.

But with Obama vying for re-election this November, and Republican presidential front-runner Mitt Romney already accusing the incumbent of being soft on China, the administration will be focused particularly on economic issues.

The primary American concern is likely to be on Chinese trade rule violations, but the U.S. also will reiterate problems with intellectual property theft and the value of China's currency. The renminbi has gained a little against the dollar in the past 1 1/2 years but still is viewed by Washington as undervalued to boost the exports that still drive China's economy.