<p>But they also stood fast on differences, especially over human rights. Obama acknowledged that differences on rights were "an occasional source of tension between our two governments."<br /><br />He said at a joint news conference with Hu at the White House, "We have some core views as Americans about the universality of certain rights: freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of assembly."<br /><br />Obama said he drove that home forcefully in his discussions with the Chinese leader, but <br />"that doesn't prevent us from cooperating in these other critical areas."<br /><br />For Hu's part, he declined to respond to an American reporter's question on human rights differences between the two countries.<br /><br />In a sign of the growing economic bonds between the two superpowers, Obama said the countries had made business deals that would mean USD 45 billion in new US exports. <br /><br />Obama also said China was taking significant steps to curtail the theft of intellectual property and expand US investment.<br /><br />Obama said China had become "one of the top markets for American exports" and that these exports have helped to support a half million US jobs.<br /><br />Hu said he and Obama had agreed to "share expanding common interests."<br /><br />"We both agreed to further push forward the positive cooperative and comprehensive <br />China-US relationship and commit to work together to build a China-US cooperative partnership based on mutual respect and mutual benefit, so as to better benefit people in our own countries and the world over," Hu said.<br /><br />Hu, speaking through a translator, said both countries should "respect each other's sovereignty, territorial integrity and development interests."<br /><br />Obama said, "I absolutely believe China's peaceful rise is good for the world, and it's good for America."<br /><br />As both countries continue to recover from the global economic crisis a recovery that began in China well before it did in the US and other developed nations the United States increasingly sees China as a market for its goods, Obama said.</p>
<p>But they also stood fast on differences, especially over human rights. Obama acknowledged that differences on rights were "an occasional source of tension between our two governments."<br /><br />He said at a joint news conference with Hu at the White House, "We have some core views as Americans about the universality of certain rights: freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of assembly."<br /><br />Obama said he drove that home forcefully in his discussions with the Chinese leader, but <br />"that doesn't prevent us from cooperating in these other critical areas."<br /><br />For Hu's part, he declined to respond to an American reporter's question on human rights differences between the two countries.<br /><br />In a sign of the growing economic bonds between the two superpowers, Obama said the countries had made business deals that would mean USD 45 billion in new US exports. <br /><br />Obama also said China was taking significant steps to curtail the theft of intellectual property and expand US investment.<br /><br />Obama said China had become "one of the top markets for American exports" and that these exports have helped to support a half million US jobs.<br /><br />Hu said he and Obama had agreed to "share expanding common interests."<br /><br />"We both agreed to further push forward the positive cooperative and comprehensive <br />China-US relationship and commit to work together to build a China-US cooperative partnership based on mutual respect and mutual benefit, so as to better benefit people in our own countries and the world over," Hu said.<br /><br />Hu, speaking through a translator, said both countries should "respect each other's sovereignty, territorial integrity and development interests."<br /><br />Obama said, "I absolutely believe China's peaceful rise is good for the world, and it's good for America."<br /><br />As both countries continue to recover from the global economic crisis a recovery that began in China well before it did in the US and other developed nations the United States increasingly sees China as a market for its goods, Obama said.</p>