|
 Speaking to growing concerns among U.S. and other companies about
the Chinese business environment after arriving in Beijing, Obama
also urged China to reject the use of cyber theft for commercial
gain and create a more level playing field where policy is not used
for the benefit of some firms over others.
Obama's trip to China for an Asia-Pacific summit comes at a time of
growing China-U.S. friction with Washington trying to expand
American interests in Asia while Chinese President Xi Jinping
demonstrates more willingness than his predecessors to demonstrate
Beijing's clout on regional issues.
The two countries have disagreed in recent months on a range of
topics, including trade, maritime issues and cyber security, while
the United States has lobbied against the setting up of a
multilateral infrastructure investment bank sponsored by China.
"Our message is that we want to see China successful," Obama told a
news conference. "But, as they grow, we want them to be a partner in
underwriting the international order, not undermining it."
 Obama and Xi will meet over dinner on Tuesday night and then for
bilateral talks as part of an official state visit on Wednesday.
In a deal that he said would improve trade and business ties between
the world's two largest economies, Obama announced that China and
the United States agreed to significantly extend the length of
short-term visas. But he also urged Beijing's leaders to create a
fair market place for foreign firms.
"We look to China to create a more level playing field on which
foreign companies are treated fairly, so that they can compete
fairly with Chinese companies," he said in a speech to business
leaders at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum.
"We look to China to become an innovative economy that values the
protection of intellectual property rights, and rejects cyber theft
of trade secrets for commercial gain."
Dozens of foreign firms, including U.S. companies such as Qualcomm
Inc and Microsoft Corp, have come under scrutiny as China seeks to
enforce a 2008 anti-monopoly law that some critics say is being used
to unfairly target overseas businesses, raising protectionism
concerns.
Chinese regulators have defended their antitrust policies, saying
foreign firms are not being targeted.
SUSTAINABLE GROWTH, OPEN INTERNET
Obama's focus on Asia business ties on the first day of his visit
underscored his efforts to strike a balance between seeking deeper
economic cooperation with a rising China while also challenging
Beijing with the U.S. pursuit of a trans-Pacific trade pact that for
now excludes the world's second largest economy.
[to top of second column] |
Earlier, Obama said momentum was building on the ambitious
12-country Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), although U.S officials
had ruled out a major announcement on the pact in Beijing. He
urged China to move "definitively" to a more market-based exchange
rate and to stand up for human rights and freedom of the press.
Under the visa deal, which will take effect on Nov. 12, both
countries would extend the terms of multiple entry short-term
tourist and business visas to 10 years from one year, the White
House said in a statement accompanying Obama's announcement. Student
visas would be extended to five years from one year.
"As a result of this arrangement, the United States hopes to welcome
a growing share of eligible Chinese travelers, inject billions (of
dollars) in the U.S. economy and create enough demand to support
hundreds of thousands of additional U.S. jobs," the White House
statement said.
The extension of some visas for Chinese nationals to 10 years
matches what is currently allowed for citizens of nations with close
relations with the United States, such as European countries and
Brazil.
A senior U.S. official said the visa agreement would allow the
United States to tap into the fast-growing market of Chinese
tourists traveling abroad. The United States now attracts only 2
percent of Chinese tourism.
"We see this as a really big win," the official said, estimating
that the United States could gain 440,000 jobs by 2021 and receive
an $85 billion annual infusion into the American economy as a result
of the new policy.
It will also make it easier for Chinese businesses and investors to
get involved in U.S. projects.
(Writign by John Ruwitch; Editing by Jason Subler and Raju
Gopalakrishnan)
[© 2014 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] Copyright 2014 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. |
