Source: phayul.com January 14, 2011

WASHINGTON: Mutual and global issues like human rights and currency would be on the agenda during an upcoming summit between President Barack Obama and his Chinese counterpart Hu Jintao next week, the US has said as it seeks to smoothen its ties with this Asian giant.

"What you'll see next week is a furthering of that effort in terms of looking and working on issues of common interest and developing that relationship further," Mike Hammer , spokesperson of the National Security Council , told foreign journalists.

"We'll raise issues of concern, whether it's currency, human rights. But that can be done in a way that is productive and can hopefully advance both our interests when it comes to that," he said.

One needs to recognise is that in the way the US is developing and managing its relationship with its Chinese counterparts is one that shows that both sides are interested in a positive, cooperative and comprehensive relationship, he asserted in his effort to downplay the any differences in relationship between the two countries.

"With regard to the sort of expansion or emergence of China, there's a lot of talk of that. I think we've been very clear that we, the United States, recognise the rise of China, and it just is a matter of looking at it in terms of how it does so within the rule of international law and norms and institutions," he said.

"So we will be engaged in Asia. Countries in Asia want the United States to be a partner. We have strong alliances with Korea and Japan. But at the same time, we are evolving our relationship with China. And (Defense) Secretary (Robert) Gates was just recently there, and he had a number of productive talks on the military-to-military piece of the relationship. So again, we'll continue to look for opportunities to further that relationship," Hammer said.

"Our relationship with China, going to manifest itself very clearly next week when President Hu comes on a state visit to Washington, arriving on the 18th and 19th for a full day of events there, with our interest, common interest to have a positive, comprehensive relationship with China where we can address issues of common interest but also discuss issues where we perhaps may disagree," he said.

The Obama Administration , he said has had tremendously good cooperation with the Chinese on implementing and first passing UN sanctions on North Korea and then the most robust sanctions ever on Iran, most recently last summer.

"And so we've made quite a bit of progress on those issues," Hammer said.