President Obama's Address at Press Conference with President Hu of PRC

It is my pleasure to welcome President Hu to the White House and to return the hospitality(热情好客) that he showed when I visited China last year. This is our eighth meeting. Together we’ve shown that the United States and China, when we cooperate, can receive substantial benefits.

The positive, constructive, cooperative U.S.-China relationship is good for the United States. We just had a very good meeting with the business leaders from both our countries. They pointed out that China is one of the top markets for American exports. We’re now exporting more than $100 billion a year in goods and services to China, which supports more than half a million American jobs. In fact, our exports to China are growing nearly twice as fast as our exports to the rest of the world, making it a key part of my goal of doubling American exports and keeping America competitive in the 21st century.

Cooperation between our countries is also good for China. China’s extraordinary economic growth has lifted hundreds of millions of people out of poverty. And this is a tribute(功绩，贡物) to the Chinese people. But it’s also thanks to decades of stability in Asia made possible by America’s forward presence in the region, by strong trade with America, and by an open international economic system championed by the United States of America.

Cooperation between our countries is also good for the world. Along with our G20 partners, we’ve moved from the brink(危险边缘) of catastrophe(灾难) to the beginning of global economic recovery(经济复苏). With our Security Council partners, we passed and are enforcing(实行) the strongest sanctions(制裁) to date against Iran over its nuclear program. We’ve worked together to reduce tensions on the Korean Peninsula(朝鲜半岛). And most recently, we welcomed China’s support for the historic referendum(公民投票) in southern Sudan.

As we look to the future, what’s needed, I believe, is a spirit of cooperation that is also friendly competition. In areas like those that I just mentioned, we will cooperate — forging(锻造) partnerships and making progress that neither nation can achieve alone. In other areas, we’ll compete — a healthy competition that spurs(鞭策) both countries to innovate(革新) and become even more competitive. That’s the kind of relationship I see for the United States and China in the 21st century, and that’s the kind of relationship that we advanced(促进) today.

I am very pleased that we’ve completed dozens of deals that will increase U.S. exports by more than $45 billion and also increase China’s investment in the United States by several billion dollars. From machinery(机械) to software, from aviation(航空业) to agriculture, these deals will support some 235,000 American jobs. And that includes many manufacturing(制造业的) jobs. So this is great news for America’s workers.

I did also stress to President Hu that there has to be a level playing field for American companies competing in China, that trade has to be fair. So I welcomed his commitment(许诺) that American companies will not be discriminated(歧视) against when they compete for Chinese government procurement(政府采购业务) contracts. And I appreciate his willingness to take new steps to combat(与……对战) the theft of intellectual property(知识产权).

We’re renewing our long-running cooperation in science and technology, which sparks(导致，激发) advances in agriculture and industry. We’re moving ahead with our U.S.-China clean energy research center and joint ventures(合资) in wind power, smart grids(电网) and cleaner coal. I believe that as the two largest energy consumers and emitters(发射者) of greenhouses gases, the United States and China have a responsibility to combat climate change by building on the progress at Copenhagen(哥本哈根) and Cancun(墨西哥坎昆), and showing the way to a clean energy future. And President Hu indicated that he agrees with me on this issue.

We discussed China’s progress in moving toward a more market-oriented(市场导向的) economy and how we can ensure a strong and balanced global economic recovery. We agreed that in China, this means boosting domestic demand(内需); here in the United States, it means spending less and exporting more.

I told President Hu that we welcome China’s increasing the flexibility(适应性，弹性) of its currency(货币). But I also had to say that the RMB remains undervalued, that there needs to be further adjustment(调整) in the exchange rate(汇率), and that this can be a powerful tool for China boosting domestic demand and lessening the inflationary(通货膨胀的) pressures in their economy. So we’ll continue to look for the value of China’s currency to be increasingly driven by the market, which will help ensure(确保) that no nation has an undue(不当的) economic advantage.

To advance our shared security, we’re expanding and deepening dialogue and cooperation between our militaries, which increases trust and reduces misunderstandings.
With regard to regional stability and security in East Asia, I stressed that the United States has a fundamental interest in maintaining freedom of navigation(航空航海), unimpeded(无阻挡的) commerce, respect for international law and the peaceful resolution of differences.

I welcomed the progress that’s been made on both sides of the Taiwan Strait in reducing tensions and building economic ties. And we hope this progress continues, because it’s in the interest of both sides, the region and the United States. Indeed, I reaffirmed(重申) our commitment to a one-China policy based on the three U.S.-China communiqués(公报) and the Taiwan Relations Act.

I told President Hu that we appreciated China’s role in reducing tensions on the Korean Peninsula, and we agreed that North Korea must avoid further provocations(挑衅). I also said that North Korea’s nuclear and ballistic missile(弹道飞弹) program is increasingly a direct threat to the security of the United States and our allies. We agreed that the paramount(至上的) goal must be complete denuclearization(无核化) of the peninsula. In that regard, the international community must continue to state clearly that North Korea’s uranium enrichment(铀浓缩) program is in violation of North Korea’s commitments and international obligations.

With respect to global security, I’m pleased that we’re moving ahead with President Hu’s commitment at last year’s Nuclear Security Summit for China to establish a center of excellence, which will help secure the world’s vulnerable(敏感的) nuclear materials.

To prevent the spread of nuclear weapons, we agreed that Iran must uphold its international obligations and that the U.N. Security Council sanctions on Iran must be fully enforced.
Along with our P5-plus-1 partners, we’ll continue to offer the government of Iran the opportunity for dialogue and integration into the international community, but only if it meets its obligations(责任，义务).

I reaffirmed America’s fundamental commitment to the universal rights of all people. That includes basic human rights like freedom of speech, of the press(出版), of assembly(集会), of association(社团) and demonstration(游行示威), and of religion -- rights that are recognized in the Chinese constitution(宪法). As I’ve said before, the United States speaks up for these freedoms and the dignity of every human being, not only because it’s part of who we are as Americans, but we do so because we believe that by upholding these universal rights, all nations, including China, will ultimately be more prosperous and successful.

So, today, we’ve agreed to move ahead with our formal dialogue on human rights. We’ve agreed to new exchanges to advance the rule of law. And even as we, the United States, recognize that Tibet(西藏) is part of the People’s Republic of China, the United States continues to support further dialogue between the government of China and the representatives of the Dalai Lama to resolve concerns and differences, including the preservation(保护，保持) of the religious and cultural identity of the Tibetan people.

Finally, we continue to expand partnerships between our people, especially our young people. Today, my wife Michelle is highlighting(强调) our efforts to increase the number of American students studying in China to 100,000. And I am very pleased that President Hu will be visiting my hometown of Chicago.

Mr. President, you are brave to visit Chicago in the middle of winter. I have warned him that the weather may not be as pleasant as it is here today. But I know that in the students and the businesspeople that you meet, you will see the extraordinary possibilities of partnership between our citizens.

So, again, I believe that we’ve helped to lay the foundation for cooperation between the United States and China for decades to come. And Michelle and I look forward to hosting President Hu for a state dinner tonight to celebrate the deep ties between our people, as well as our shared hopes for the future.