奥巴马的中国之旅

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Overseas now, President Obama has wrapped up another full day in China, including meetings with President Hu Jintao. There was a lot of pushback between the two of them behind the warm welcome for the visiting president. Our White House correspondent Savannah Guthrie, traveling with President Obama in Beijing, with apologies for a long satellite delay tonight. Savannah, good evening.

Good evening to you, Brian.  This was the day of the real business of the trip. And despite a lot of talk about a new era of cooperation, it's clear this will take time and the president will leave China with the same fundamental disagreements intact.  In subfreezing temperatures, the president toured Beijing's Forbidden City, once the home of emperors.

The president's second day in China was long on ceremony, an official welcome with the formal review of the troops, and Tuesday night, an elaborate state dinner. It was also the most substantive day of the visit, President Obama and Chinese President Hu Jintao holding a series of meetings and appearing later before the press to hail the common ground they share as the world's largest powers. "The United States welcomes China as a strong, prosperous and successful member of the community of nations."  But both leaders raised touchy economic issues. China's president urged Mr. Obama to avoid protectionist measures that could curb China's massive dependence on US exports to power its economy, Mr. Obama reminding China of its promises to stop manipulating its currency to keep Chinese goods artificially cheap.

But aides say the Chinese never brought up the US's 800 billion dollar debt, money largely used to fund stimulus efforts, though the president later appeared to make a passing reference.  "China's partnership has proved critical in our effort to pull ourselves out of the worst recession in generations."

The Chinese took a firm line against Iran and North Korea, but in a sign of the diplomatic work still to be done, made no commitments to support sanctions against Iran, its economic ally. And at a press event so tightly managed, no questions were permitted, Mr. Obama gently nudged his hosts on human rights.  "We do not believe these principles are unique to America, but rather, they are universal rights, and that they should be available to all peoples." The leaders did make some progress on climate change. No major breakthroughs on capping greenhouse gases, but they did pledge cooperation on clean energy research.  On Wednesday, the president will meet with the premier of China, then it's on to Korea. But one last sightseeing stop, the Great Wall of China, Brian.