THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
For Immediate Release November 12, 2011
Remarks by President Obama
And President Hu of China
Before Bilateral Meeting
Hale Koa Hotel
Honolulu, Hawaii
3:55 P.M. HAST
PRESIDENT OBAMA: Well, I want to extend a warm welcome to President Hu as he attends this APEC Summit, and we are glad
to host him and the other world leaders who are attending.
This will be the first extensive discussions that we’ve had since our very successful state visit by President Hu to
Washington.
As we emphasized at that state visit, as two of the world’s largest countries and largest economies, cooperation
between the United States and China is vital not only to the security and prosperity of our own people but is also vital
to the world.
Such cooperation is particularly important to the Asia Pacific region, where both China and the United States are
extraordinarily active. We are both Pacific powers. And I think many countries in the region look to a constructive
relationship between the United States and China as a basis for continued growth and prosperity.
As we did at the G20 in Cannes, President Hu and I I’m sure will be discussing issues related to economic growth, how
we can continue to rebalance growth around the world, emphasize the importance of putting people back to work, and
making sure that the trade relationships and commercial relationships between our two countries end up being a win-win
situation.
And I look forward to the opportunity to also discuss a range of both regional and global security issues, including
nonproliferation and denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, ways that we can work together on issues like climate
change, and our efforts to jointly assure that countries like Iran are abiding by international rules and norms.
And although there are areas where we continue to have differences, I am confident that the U.S.-China relationship can
continue to grow in a constructive way based on mutual respect and mutual interests. And I want to extend my
appreciation to President Hu for the continuous engagement not only of him but also of the entire Chinese government in
addressing a wide range of these issues.
So, welcome, President Hu, and I look forward to not only a good discussion here but also an outstanding APEC Summit.
PRESIDENT HU: (As interpreted.) I wish to thank you, Mr. President, for your warm invitation and welcome. I’m delighted
to have this opportunity to come to the beautiful state of Hawaii to attend the APEC economic leaders meeting and to
meet with you, Mr. President.
This is the ninth meeting between you and I, Mr. President, since you took office, and I look forward to a extensive
and in-depth discussion on China-U.S. relations, as well as major regional and international issues of shared interest.
As things stand, the international situation is undergoing complex and profound changes There is growing instability
and uncertainty in the world economic recovery, and regional security threat has become more salient. Under these
circumstances, it is all the more important for China and the United States to increase their communication and
coordination.
China looks forward to maintaining and strengthening dialogue and cooperation with the United States, to respect each
other’s major concerns, appropriately manage sensitive issues, and ensure that the China-U.S. relationship will continue
to grow on a sustainable and stable path.
This APEC meeting has drawn a lot of attention worldwide and we appreciate the tremendous work the United States has
done in preparing for this meeting. The Asia Pacific region is the most dynamic region in today’s world, with the
biggest development potential. This region should become a region of active cooperation between China and the United
States.
I sincerely wish this meeting a full success, and I hope that this meeting here will send out a positive message to the
international community that economies in the Asia Pacific region will reach out to each other like passengers on the
same boat, and work together to ensure the continued, steady growth of the economies.
Thank you once again, Mr. President.
END 4:05 P.M. HAST