WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama says good ties between with United States and China are essential and help the rest of the world.
Obama and China's next leader are getting their first chance to size up the other Tuesday. Obama welcomed Chinese Vice-President Xi Jinping in the Oval Office. He says he is looking forward to future co-operation.
The warm smiles and handshakes mask sharp policy divisions over Syria, Iran and economic issues. Obama aides say those quarrels will be on the table for Xi's visit, along with longstanding U.S. concerns about Chinese human rights practices.
Xi was also seeing top U.S. national security leaders, including Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Defence Secretary Leon Panetta.
