China's Vice President, Xi Jinping, Opens U.S. Tour

U.S. President Barack Obama met Tuesday with the one that will probably be the next number one Chinese, Xi Jinping, to lay the foundations for a more harmonious relationship with Beijing, his rival and at the same time, social .Xi, currently vice president of his country, met with Obama after meeting with his American counterpart, Joe Biden, and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Also present was in the Roosevelt Room of the West Wing of the White House representative to the Trade, Ron Kirk.

Obama said the White House Oval Office that his country will continue addressing the issue of human rights in China. "On critical issues, such as human rights, continue to insist on what we believe is important, the realization of the aspirations and rights of all," Obama said.The U.S. representative said China must abide by "existing rules" of the world economy. The value of the yuan, which Washington believes that Beijing keeps artificially undervalued to gain competitiveness for their exports, represents a major issue of contention between the two largest economic powers.

"We hope that China will follow assuming a growing role in world affairs, and believe it is extremely important that China and United States to develop a strong working relationship," he added.Obama referred to tactfully trade tensions and human rights issues between the two trading giants, and said that Washington intends to remain a key power in the Asia-Pacific region, despite the rise of China.Obama also hailed the agreement reached in Beijing and Washington on issues like Iran and Korean Peninsula.

However, the representative did not directly mention Syria, something that created discord between the two powers after China vetoed, along with Russia, a UN resolution condemning the repression of the regime of Bashar al-Assad dissidents.Unless something occurs outside the set, Xi will succeed Hu Jintao in the leadership of Chinese Communist Party in October and then in March 2013, taking the head of state."We will not stand side by side" in every issue, Joe Biden said about the meeting. "But it is a sign of strength and maturity in our relationship that we can speak warmly of our differences."

Just before the start of meetings at the White House, the Chinese Vice President stated that the U.S. should take "concrete measures to promote mutual trust.""We hope the U.S. side China can be seen in an objective and rational and that concrete measures be taken to promote mutual trust," said Xi, according to official Chinese news agency Xinhua (New China)."We must seek mutual benefits and arrangements in a positive and constructive way," he said.

Xi also expressed his hope that this election year in the United States does not have an "unfortunate impact" on the links between the two largest economies of the planet.But the political context of his visit is complex: the veto of China, heavily criticized by Washington-at the UN on the issue Syrian immolation in Tibetan regions in series, increased trade tension and escalation of traditional criticism of China in an election year in the United.Xi arrived on Monday the United States for an important visit for a week and met with, among others, former secretaries of state Henry Kissinger and Madeleine Albright.

Xi also visit Iowa (center), the state where they find again with old friends who met during a youth trip in 1985, and Los Angeles.Shortly before his arrival in the U.S., Xi warned Washington about a steep increase in its military apparatus in the Asia-Pacific. In late 2011, Obama announced that his country will strengthen its military presence in Australia, a decision in which Beijing had seen a sign of a "cold war mentality."However, in an unusual step, the vice president to visit China on Tuesday the Pentagon.