Associated Press
BEIJING -- President Barack Obama declared Monday the world is urgently watching for a "meeting of the minds" between the U.S. and China as he meets with President Hu Jintao on the globe's biggest issues -- climate change, economic recession, nuclear proliferation and more.
Obama also prodded China about Internet controls and free speech, but his message was not widely heard in the country because his words were drastically limited online and shown on just one regional television channel.
In his first visit here, Obama is strongly suggesting that China, now a giant in economic impact as well as territory, must take a bigger role on the world stage -- part of the "burden of leadership" it shares with the United States.
"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.
The town hall meeting showed how difficult it is for the governments to work together. The U.S. initially requested a larger venue and a live broadcast on a major network. In the end, Chinese officials put the event on the eastern fringes of the city. Only local Shanghai TV carried it live, though it was streamed on two popular Internet portals and on the White House's Web site, which is not censored.
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.
The two were meeting again more formally today, complete with the military pomp of a welcome ceremony at the Great Hall of the People and a joint appearance before reporters. With sightseeing in Beijing's Forbidden City sandwiched in between, the two leaders' day was to end at a lavish state dinner in Obama's honor. Obama was spending Wednesday in Beijing as well before completing his weeklong Asia travels in South Korea.
Associated Press writers Charles Hutzler and Alexa Olesen contributed to this story.
