2010-04-06 | Obama, Hu Discuss U.S.-China Relations
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Obama, Hu Discuss U.S.-China Relations
06 04 2010
President Obama, left, talks with Chinese President Hu at a state dinner in Beijing during a visit in November 2009. (Photo: President Obama, left, talks with Chinese President Hu at a state dinner in Beijing during a visit in November 2009.)
Washington — President Obama and Chinese President Hu Jintao spoke by telephone for about an hour April 1 on shared interests in stopping the spread of nuclear weapons and in protecting against the threat of nuclear terrorism.
The two world leaders also exchanged ideas about how best to deal with an Iranian regime that has not been forthcoming in explaining its nuclear development program, the White House said in a statement April 1 after Obama returned from Democratic Party fundraising events in the Northeast.
Earlier, the Chinese government announced that Hu would visit Washington April 12–13 to attend President Obama’s Global Nuclear Summit. The summit is a significant part of achieving the president’s vision of a world free of nuclear weapons.
The White House said the April summit “will be an important opportunity for them to address their shared interest in stopping nuclear proliferation and protecting against nuclear terrorism.”
Hu’s trip will also offer an opportunity for China and the United States to reduce recent tensions over economic, trade and political issues, the White House said, adding that Obama and Hu “also discussed the importance of developing a positive bilateral relationship.”
The United States and other Western partners have been working in recent months to increase pressure on the Iranian regime over its nuclear development program. The five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council — Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States — have discussed imposing additional economic and political sanctions on Iran. China has insisted on further efforts to reach the Iranian regime through diplomatic initiatives before resorting to a new round of sanctions.
“President Obama underscored the importance of working together to ensure that Iran lives up to its international obligations,” the White House said after the two spoke for an hour by telephone from Air Force One. The presidential plane was held on the ground for about 10 additional minutes at Andrews Air Force Base outside Washington until the president completed the call.
Obama also discussed commitments made at the two summits of the Group of 20 in 2009. China, the United States and the other nations in the group pledged to implement new policies designed to produce balanced and sustainable growth, and to implement more stringent regulations for the financial sector.