Obama meets with rivals Putin and Xi in China
cbsnews.com
Both Mr. Obama and Xi heralded a joint commitment to cut greenhouse gases, an agreement that came about after months of secret talks between officials from both countries. The pact is meant to signal to other heavy-polluting nations that the U.S. and China are in sync on the need to tackle climate change in the lead-up to a high-stakes summit in Paris next year.
The two leaders also announced an agreement to have their militaries give each other more guidance about their activities in the Pacific, a step deemed necessary after U.S. and Chinese aircraft have come dangerously close in the region. In addition, Mr. Obama and Xi touted a breakthrough in trade talks to reduce tariffs on high-tech goods, as well as a deal to extend the lengths of visas granted to U.S. and Chinese citizens.
On the CBS News broadcast "Up to the Minute," CBS News foreign affairs analyst Pamela Falk noted that Mr. Obama also met with Russian President Vladimir Putin, for 20 minutes, at the APEC summit. They discussed Syria, Iran and Ukraine, Falk said, adding, "The idea here is get the conversation going."
Falk pointed out that, in addition to the deals with the U.S. that were announced, Beijing and Moscow reached "mega (natural) gas deals, after last year's other mega gas deal. So, China's trying to sort of play both sides. Interesting to watch."
White House officials had pressed their Chinese counterparts for weeks to allow reporters to ask questions of the two leaders after they made statements to the press. The Chinese government, which keeps tight control of media in the country, agreed just hours before the event to allow a question from one reporter from each country.