A warming trend in U.S. relations with China gave President Obama a potentially substantive start for his international nuclear summit, with both sides discussing new sanctions against Iran.
Obama met with Chinese President Hu Jintao for about 90 minutes on the margins of the Nuclear Security Summit. It was the longest of several meetings Obama held during the day with visiting world leaders, underscoring the importance of the relationship and the president’s desire to honor the visiting superpower.
Obama convened the gathering of leaders from 47 nations at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center for a two-day event exploring collaborative efforts at keeping nuclear materials from terrorists.
“It’s impressive,” Obama said of the gathering. “I think it’s an indication of how deeply concerned everybody should be with the possibilities of nuclear traffic, and I think at the end of this we’re going to see some very specific, concrete actions that each nation is taking that will make the world a little bit safer.”
Also on the table with China are U.S. concerns over that country’s currency and trade policies.
But the centerpiece of the two leaders’ discussion was Iran’s nuclear program, which remains under international scrutiny and suspicion.
With Russia balking at another round of sanctions against Iran, Obama wants China on his side of the issue, and China does not want to be isolated with Russia on the side of Iran.
“The Chinese are very clear they share our concern about the Iranian nuclear program,” said Jeffrey Bader, senior director for Asia at the National Security Council.
Although short of specifics, the two leaders agreed to direct their respective delegations to collaborate on a new Iran sanctions resolution for the United Nations Security Council.
“The resolution will make clear to Iran the cost of pursuing a nuclear program that violates Iran’s obligations and responsibilities,” Bader said. “The Chinese are actively at the table.”
Previously, U.S. prodding about Chinese currency and other issues — Obama’s meeting with the Dalai Lama among them — put the relationship on a tense footing, and it was unclear for some time if Hu would attend Obama’s nuclear summit.
In addition to the new rapport with China, the White House was touting a promise from the Ukraine to dispose of its stash of highly enriched uranium, described as catnip for terrorists looking to build their own weapons.
White House officials had downplayed prospects for concrete achievements coming out of the unprecedented gathering. And generally, the work of such gatherings is done before and after, at the staff level.
After a long day of one-on-one meetings with leaders from Jordan, Malaysia, Ukraine, China and Armenia, the president returned to the White House briefly before dashing back to the convention center to personally greet every leader attending the summit.
The leaders were gathering for dinner Monday evening at the convention center, and will meet there Tuesday to discuss how to secure nuclear materials against the threat of rogue states and terrorists.
