US President Barack Obama presses China over rights

BEIJING: US President Barack Obama has told China that individual rights and freedoms should be available to all.

He told an audience of Chinese students that certain freedoms were universal – and not just limited to Americans. Speaking at a question-and-answer session in Shanghai, Mr Obama added that China and the US were not destined to be adversaries.

Later, he met Chinese President Hu Jintao for dinner in Beijing ahead of a summit on Tuesday. Mr Obama’s visit has received minimal coverage in the Chinese media, with his arrival in Beijing mentioned in a report 25 minutes into state TV’s evening news programme.

The Shanghai meeting was not mentioned in the bulletin, although it was carried live on local Shanghai TV and streamed on two national internet portals. In his speech at the Shanghai Science and Technology Museum, the US president praised China’s efforts in lifting millions of people out of poverty, saying it was “unparalleled” in human history.