Bush-Hu Meeting To Highlight Role That China Plays

In the case of Iran, China has frequently joined with Russia to thwart the tougher action sought by the United States at the United Nations. Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Dai Bingguo, standing on the same stage as Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice at a news conference in Berlin, rejected the idea of sanctions last month, saying that "there has already been enough turmoil in the Middle East."

The U.N. Security Council demanded that Iran halt its uranium enrichment activities by April 28, and instead Iran's president announced last week that the Islamic republic had reached a new technological milestone. Talks held in Moscow this week by diplomats for the permanent members of the council and Germany yielded no consensus on the next steps.

The U.S. official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said the discussions today will be an "opportune moment" for the two presidents to discuss Iran, with Bush planning to outline to Hu how he hopes to proceed against Tehran. Speaking to reporters Tuesday, Bush stressed that "we want to solve this issue diplomatically," but he pointedly refused to rule out using nuclear weapons to destroy underground Iranian nuclear facilities if diplomacy failed.

In his talks with the Chinese, Zoellick has suggested that Iran's acquisition of a nuclear weapon would destabilize the Middle East and would probably raise the cost of crude oil, directly affecting Chinese interests. Chinese officials privately told Zoellick in January that they share with the United States the same principles on Iran but that they may differ on tactics. Now, U.S. officials are hoping that Hu will publicly declare this week that China wants to work cooperatively with the United States to stop Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons.

On North Korea, China remains Pyongyang's key economic and political patron and has played a crucial role in hosting six-nation talks to resolve the impasse over that country's nuclear programs. But the talks have stalled, and U.S. officials have felt frustrated that China has been reluctant to use its leverage to force North Korea to return to the talks. Generally, China -- concerned about the potential collapse of North Korea -- has enticed Pyongyang with inducements, such as a new glass factory, rejecting U.S. efforts to cut off oil supplies or take other negative measures.

"What we are urging the Chinese to recognize is that they need to be more than a mediator" on North Korea, Zoellick said at a public forum on Monday.

Hu is very formal, but U.S. officials hope to build on his personal relationship with Bush.

In April 2003, shortly after Hu ascended to the top post, Bush ended a phone conversation by telling him he was a strong leader and doing a good job. It was one of Bush's standard lines -- later made famous when he used it to laud one of his top aides after the Hurricane Katrina disaster. But White House officials were later told by Chinese officials that Bush's comment made a deep impression on Hu, who had never heard such praise from a world leader.

Hu, White House officials were told, decided that Bush really wants him to succeed.