President Bush says he would like to see China become a nation of consumers - especially of American products - during a meeting with Chinese President Hu Jintao in Hanoi.
Speaking on the sidelines of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation summit Sunday, Mr. Bush acknowledged there will be difficulties as trade between China and the U.S. expands. But he said any problems can be worked out with a policy of mutual respect.
Mr. Hu downplayed the difficulties, noting U.S. exports to China jumped 35 percent in the first seven months of this year.
President Bush also said the U.S. considers China a very important nation that can help solve problems such as nuclear-armed North Korea and Iran.
Throughout his visit to Hanoi, Mr. Bush has been working to promote a strong international stand against North Korea's nuclear program.
The country test-fired nuclear weapons in October, creating international condemnation.
President Bush's visit to Vietnam is part of a six-day, three-nation tour of Southeast Asia. He arrived in Vietnam Friday from Singapore and plans to visit Indonesia before returning to the U.S. Tuesday.
Mr. Bush is to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the APEC summit Sunday.
Some information for this report provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.
