Biden, accompanied by Ambassador Gary Locke, waved and greeted
hundreds of Chinese queuing at the visa hall.
"Innovation can only occur when you can breathe free, challenge the
government, challenge your teachers, challenge religious leaders,"
Biden said.
Biden is visiting the Chinese capital at the invitation of his
Chinese counterpart Li Yuanchao, though he is also meeting President
Xi Jinping.
Top of the agenda on his trip is China's new air defense
identification zone in the East China Sea, which has rattled
Washington, Tokyo and Seoul.
Biden has sought to reach out to ordinary Chinese before, visiting a
noodle restaurant for lunch during a visit to Beijing in 2011.
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"If you come to Washington, tell them you spoke to me here and I
promise you'll be able to get to see me," Biden added, to laughter
from the waiting visa applicants.
(Reporting by Reuters Television; writing by Ben Blanchard;
editing
by Clarence Fernandez)
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