US president Barack Obama told Chinese leader-in-waiting Xi Jinping today that Beijing must play fair in international trade and vowed to keep pressing China to clean up its human rights record.
In White House talks, Mr Obama sought to reassure Mr Xi that Washington welcomed China's "peaceful rise" but also signalled that frictions will remain in a growing economic and military rivalry between the two countries, despite Beijing's political transition.
Mr Xi's meeting with the president was the centerpiece of a US visit that could help the Chinese vice president boost his international standing and show he is capable of steering his country's crucial relationship with Washington for the next decade.
Treading cautiously, Mr Obama sought to make a smooth start with China's heir apparent while at the same time looking firm with Beijing in a US election year when voters' anti-China sentiment is running high.
"We have tried to emphasise that because of China's . . . extraordinary development over the last two decades, that with expanding power and prosperity also comes increased responsibilities," Mr Obama said as he sat side by side with Mr Xi in the Oval Office.
"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, and that includes ensuring that there is a balanced trade flow between not only the United States and China but around the world," he said.
Washington has long urged Beijing to do more to help reduce the US trade deficit with China, which soared to a record $295.5 billion (€225 billion) in 2011, underscoring concerns in Congress about Chinese currency practices and other policies that put US firms at a disadvantage.
But US leverage over Beijing is limited, not least because China is America's largest foreign creditor.
Mr Xi (58), in line to assume the presidency in March 2013, said he looked forward to building a "cooperative partnership based on mutual respect and mutual interests" but did not address Mr Obama's veiled criticism of Beijing's policies.
"I hope to engage with a broad cross-section of American society during my current visit," he added.
The two leaders smiled and nodded as the other spoke and shook hands during an appearance before reporters.
Reuters