WASHINGTON (Reuters) ? President Barack Obama pressed Chinese leader-in-waiting Xi Jinping on Tuesday over his country's huge trade surpluses with the United States and vowed to keep pressure on China to improve its human rights record.
In White House talks, Obama sought to reassure Xi that Washington welcomed China's "peaceful rise" but made clear that tensions remain in a growing economic and military rivalry between the two countries.
Xi's White House visit was the centerpiece of a U.S. trip that may 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.
Obama sought to balance his desire to make a good start with Xi with the political need to look firm with Beijing in an election year when American voters' anti-China sentiment is running high.
"We have tried to emphasize that because of China's ... extraordinary development over the last two decades, that with expanding power and prosperity also comes increased responsibilities," Obama said as he sat with 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.
Xi, who is 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." He did not address Obama's veiled criticism of Beijing's policies.
"I hope to engage with a broad cross-section of American society during my current visit," Xi said.
The two leaders smiled and nodded as the other spoke and shook hands during an appearance before reporters.
Xi's visit comes at a time when ties between Beijing and Washington -- the world's two biggest economies -- have been buffeted by strains over trade, currency, human rights and military intentions.
"On critical issues like human rights we will continue to emphasize what we believe is the importance of recognizing the aspirations and rights of all people," Obama said. Chinese leaders traditionally bristle at U.S. rights criticism as meddling in their internal affairs.
Outside the White House gates, about 200 anti-Beijing protesters marched and chanted slogans against China's crackdown in Tibet - an issue that U.S. officials said would figure in the talks with Xi.
Chinese officials have carefully choreographed Xi's U.S. trip as a rite of passage in China's once-in-a-decade leadership transition. Xi is expected to become head of the ruling Communist Party later this year before taking over the presidency in March 2013.
(Additional reporting by Alister Bull and Caren Bohan; editing by Christopher Wilson)
Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/obama/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120214/ts_nm/us_usa_china
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