Chinese Communist Party chief and incoming President Xi Jinping walks back to ... more >President Obama called on China’s new president, Xi Jinping, on Thursday and discussed the challenges posed by North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs, and the importance of addressing cybersecurity threats.
Mr. Obama “highlighted the threat to the United States, its allies, and the region from North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs and stressed the need for close coordination with China to ensure North Korea meets its denuclearization commitments,” the White House said. He also emphasized the importance of addressing cybersecurity threats, which represent “a shared challenge.”
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Mr. Obama called Mr. Xi to congratulate him on being elected president of China.
Mr. Xi faces many challenges of his own, including a slowing domestic economy, simmering territorial disputes with Japan and the threat of an increasingly belligerent North Korea.
China, which provides economic aid to North Korea, has been reluctant to press its ally out of concern that the regime in Pyongyang could collapse and send a wave of refugees into China.
Earlier this month, China, a veto-wielding member of the U.N. Security Council, backed a fresh round of sanctions to punish North Korea for its Feb. 12 nuclear test.
Mr. Xi, the son of a prominent revolutionary and vice premier, was confirmed as China’s next president in a choreographed transfer of power on Thursday.
About 3,000 deputies to the National People’s Congress voted 2,952 to 1 for Mr. Xi, the sole candidate. There were three abstentions.
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Mr. Xi was put on track to become president when he was appointed secretary general of the Communist Party of China on Nov. 15. His election marks China’s second orderly succession since the start of Communist Party rule in 1949.
Mr. Xi succeeds Hu Jintao, who served as president for 10 years.
Li Keqiang is widely expected to be named China’s new premier on Friday. He will replace Wen Jiabao.
Mr. Xi is not expected to make any major policy changes. One reason is that the Communist Party’s seven-member Politburo Standing Committee takes major policy decisions by consensus.
The U.S.-China relationship will continue to be dominated by Chinese concerns over the United States’ “pivot” to Asia, which is widely viewed in China as an attempt by Washington to check its rise; U.S. complaints about China’s undervalued currency; the civil war in Syria; Iran’s nuclear program; cybersecurity; and human rights.
In Thursday’s phone call, Mr. Obama welcomed China’s commitment to move toward a more flexible currency exchange rate, and said it is important that the U.S. and China work together to expand trade as well as address issues such as the protection of intellectual property rights.
The two leaders agreed to maintain frequent and direct communication.
View Entire Story© Copyright 2013 The Washington Times, LLC. Click here for reprint permission.
Ashish Kumar Sen is a reporter covering foreign policy and international developments for The Washington Times.
Prior to joining The Times, Mr. Sen worked for publications in Asia and the Middle East. His work has appeared in a number of publications and online news sites including the British Broadcasting Corp., Asia Times Online and Outlook magazine.
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