Obama: U.S.-China dialogue key to future

WASHINGTON, July 27 (UPI) -- U.S. President Barack Obama opened two days of U.S.-China discussions Monday, saying the dialogue was essential in advancing relations between the countries.

"Today, we look out on the horizon of a new century," Obama said at the U.S.-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue in Washington "And as we launch this dialogue, it is important for us to reflect upon the questions that will shape the 21st century," including economic and national security, sustainable growth and climate change.

"We cannot predict with certainty what the future will bring, but we can be certain about the issues that will define our times," Obama said. "And we also know this: the relationship between the United States and China will shape the 21st century, which makes it as important as any bilateral relationship in the world. That reality must underpin our partnership. That is the responsibility we bear."

Accompanying Obama in the U.S. delegation were Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner.

Obama said he was confident of U.S.-China relations going forward because of shared mutual interests.

"If we advance those interests through cooperation, our people will benefit, and the world will be better off because our ability to partner with each other is a prerequisite for progress on many of the most pressing global challenges," he said.

Mutual interests can be advanced in several areas -- economic recovery; a clean, secure energy future; stopping the spread of nuclear proliferation and confronting transnational threats.

"All of these issues are rooted in the fact that no one nation can meet the challenges of the 21st century on its own, nor effectively advance its interests in isolation," Obama said. "It is this fundamental truth that compels us to cooperate."