The US president has sought to ease tensions with China over trade and other issues in the opening address of his visit to the emerging superpower.

Barack Obama told a gathering of students in Shanghai that their countries were not pre-destined to be adversaries and that Washington did not seek to restrict China’s rise. He said better relations could lead to more prosperity for both nations. “Truly, this is a nation that encompasses both a rich history and a belief in the promise of the future.The same can be said of the relationship between our two countries.Shanghai of course is a city that has great meaning in the history of the relationship between the United States and China,” he added. During this, his first visit to China Obama will attend a summit that will grapple with economic imbalances and US concerns about the yuan currency, which Washington believes is undervalued. He will meet President Hu Jintao in Beijing tomorrow. A range of sensitive issues are on the agenda, including China’s human rights record in Tibet.More about: Barack Obama, China, USA

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