Little real progress for Obama and Hu

PRESIDENT Barack Obama and Chinese President Hu Jintao promised a determined, joint effort to tackle climate change, nuclear disarmament and other global troubles, yet emerged from their first full-blown summit yesterday with scant progress beyond goodwill.

After two hours of talks, the presidents spoke of moving beyond the divisiveness over human rights, trade and military tensions that have bedeviled relations in past decades.

“The major challenges of the 21st century, from climate change to nuclear proliferation to economic recovery, are challenges that touch both our nations, and challenges that neither of our nations can solve by acting alone,” Obama said, standing with Hu in the Great Hall of the People.