Obama meets China's next leader Xi in Oval Office

Washington: US President Barack Obama said he would again raise with China's likely next leader Xi Jinping the issue of human rights, a politically delicate topic for his Chinese guest, while emphasising that he welcomed China's peaceful rise as a world power.

Human rights is always a sensitive Sino-US issue, and there is growing concern amid China's clampdown on dissent and in Tibetan areas.

Obama also stressed that everyone must observe global economic "rules of the road" in a key introductory meeting at the White House.

Obama tactfully referred to trade and currency tensions and human rights disputes between the two giant economies and said Washington intended to remain a key power in the Asia-Pacific region despite China's rise.

Stressing a desire for cooperation, Obama nevertheless said China's "extraordinary development over the last two decades" brought expanding power and prosperity but also "increased responsibilities" for Beijing.

"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," Obama said, as Xi sat by his side ahead of their Oval Office talks.

"That includes insuring that there is a balanced trading flow not only between the United States and China but around the world," Obama said.

The US leader also said that on critical issues like human rights, Washington would "continue to emphasise what we believe is the importance of realising the aspirations and rights of all people."

Obama said Washington wanted to manage tensions with China in a "constructive way" and wanted to tackle key issues like Iran, the North Korean nuclear challenge and global economic crises together.

Earlier, US Vice-President Joe Biden and US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton opened talks with Xi at the White House at the start of a packed day that was to include a rare honour ceremony at the Pentagon.

"This bilateral relationship is one of the most important in the world," Biden said.

"We are not always going to see eye to eye" on every issue, Biden said. "But it is a sign of strength and maturity in our relationship that we can talk cordially about our differences."

The Obama administration has made a concerted effort to cultivate relations with Xi, who is tipped to become president next year and lead China for the ensuing decade in which most experts expect the Asian power to grow rapidly. But with China already in the firing line ahead of US elections in November, the White House has said it will be firm with Xi on concerns — especially trade. US lawmakers accuse Beijing of keeping its currency unfairly low to fuel inexpensive exports that have turned China into a manufacturing superpower.

Xi, meeting with former US policymakers including Henry Kissinger after his arrival on Monday, urged Washington to treat China in an "objective and rational way" and not make relations an election-year issue.

"I believe no one of insight from the US side would like to see that the election factors would have a regrettable impact on the development of ties between the two countries," Xi said, as quoted in English by China's state-run Xinhua news agency.