Last updated:Â 16 november, 2009 - 14:44 GMT
President Obama seeks strategic relationship with China
Mr Obama's visit has received minimal coverage in the Chinese media
President Barack Obama is in China for his first ever state visit.
Mr Obama is attending a welcome dinner tonight, hosted by his Chinese counterpart, Hu Jintao. Formal talks start on Tuesday.
Some in the United States see China as a growing threat. President Obama has described it as both a vital partner and competitor.
He wants this visit to help build a new, strategic partnership between America and China.
President Obama needs China's co-operation if he is to tackle many of the issues he faces: re-invigorating the global economy, dealing with climate change and limiting the spread of nuclear weapons.
However some worry that President Obama is going soft on issues like Tibet and human rights as China increasingly has the power to help America achieve its goals or to frustrate them.
The ´óÏó´«Ã½'s Damian Grammaticas reports.
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Dr Steven Tsang is a Fellow of St Antony's College at Oxford University in the UK.
What do the United States and China want to get out of this visit?
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First broadcast 15 ~ 16 November 2009
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