US, China don't have to be rivals: Obama

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US President Barack Obama arrives for a town hall meeting in Shanghai Monday.

SHANGHAI, Nov 16 (CNN): The United States and China don't have to be at odds, despite the challenges facing them, US President Barack Obama told several hundred students at a town hall meeting Monday in Shanghai.
"Our relationship has not been without disagreement and difficulty, but the notion that we must be adversaries is not predestined," Obama told several hundred students. He called for open dialogue but said he recognized that each nation was unique. "I believe that each country must chart its own course," he said.
Earlier, Obama met with Yu Zhengsheng, Shanghai's mayor and a Communist Party secretary. Later in the day, the president is to fly to Beijing, where he'll meet with Chinese President Hu Jintao, with trade issues likely to be a major discussion topic. The two leaders are to issue a joint statement following their talks.
Obama's visit comes as China relishes its spot as a key global player. It is involved in major international disputes such as the showdowns with Iran and North Korea and has used its position on the UN Security Council and its economic leverage to influence events around the globe.
China also is now the dominant regional player in northeast Asia, recently hosting a summit in Beijing with the Japanese and South Korean leaders.
The nation's economic expansion has led to a demand for raw materials around the world and the rapid expansion of China's presence in countries such as Guinea, Myanmar, Sudan and Venezuela. Human rights groups say China is propping up repressive regimes to secure its access to critically important raw materials.
China's rapid economic expansion outpaces growth in the United States, 8.9 percent in the past quarter versus 3.5 percent in the United States, giving Beijing huge economic leverage. The United States imports billions of dollars in Chinese products each year.
After Beijing, where Obama plans to make a side trip to the Great Wall, he will head to his final stop, Seoul. There he will meet with South Korean President Lee Myung-bak and deliver a speech to American troops at Osan Air Base.