Despite pressure to leave China having racked up political wins, President Obama found time today to sightsee and marvel at the Great Wall.

Wrapping up his visit, President Obama’s thoughts were spread across a myriad of issues, and he even hinted at revealing his strategy regarding Afghanistan.

“This decision will put us on a path towards ending the war”, said Obama.

The President also hinted at a troop increase, as he said the new strategy would not immediately bring a smaller U.S. footprint in Afghanistan.

In response to critics’ concerns that 9/11 suspect Khalid Sheikh Mohammed will be tried with the legal rights of Americans, President Obama replied, “I don’t think it will be offensive at all when he’s convicted and when the death penalty is applied to him.”

Meanwhile, the President met with China’s Premiere in the spirit of deepening ties with China.

“A relationship that used to be focused just on economic and trade issues is now expanding to deal with a whole host of global issues in which U.S.-China cooperation is critical”, said Obama.

The President’s meetings in China – sprinkled with entertainment – did produce a pledge.

The U.S. will offer targets for climate-warming emissions cuts if China does, lifting expectations out of next month’s climate summit.

Not all proposals were met with agreement, however.

China showed no softening on its control of their currency, as they’re keeping its prices low to boost exports in competition with the United States.

Another area not wrought with concessions was China’s stance on Iran and its nuclear program, due to its oil interests in the country.

Next on President Obama’s itinerary is a visit to South Korea, which will undoubtedly include discussions of the country’s recent scuffles with their neighbors to the north.

“What’s important is that the two President’s will get together and they will stand in unison conveying the same message”, said Lee Jung-Hoon, Dean of Underwood Intl. College.

President Obama’s next task on his tour of Asia: getting North Korea back to the nuclear bargaining table.

Protestors have already begun gathering ahead of his arrival.

RALEIGH, N.C.- Gov. Beverly Perdue is returning to North Carolina after a nearly two-week trade and cultural mission to China and Japan.

Perdue’s office has said she would arrive in the state Tuesday night after leaving from Shanghai. The trip also included visits to Tokyo and Beijing and focused largely on building relationships with two of the state’s top four trading partners.

The governor told reporters last week by phone she saw her first overseas trade trip as one focused on building a long-term relationship with Chinese firms and expand already fruitful ties in Japan.

Perdue leaves behind a contingent of about 20 North Carolina residents – including several legislators – visiting China on a separate trip paid by outside groups. They will return this weekend.

RALEIGH, N.C. – A new poll released today by the Civitas Institute that shows nearly three-fourths of voters disapprove of Gov. Bev Perdue’s journey to Japan and China.

Perdue returns from her trade mission today.

The live caller poll of 600 likely 2010 voters were asked if they approved or disapproved of Gov. Perdue spending $80,000 to go on a trade mission to Japan and China.

A majority of voters,71.8 percent of them, said they disapproved of Perdue’s trip. Only 20.7 percent of voters approved and 7.5 percent said they were unsure.

“While Perdue said this trip was about recruiting jobs, all the polled voters see is another wasteful expenditure of their tax dollars,” said Civitas Institute Executive Director Francis De Luca. “Perdue will need to show some tangible results of the trip in order for the public to think it was worthwhile.”

The trip was disliked even by a majority of Perdue’s supporters; with 53.8 percent of them who said they had a favorable opinion of the Governor also said they disapproved of the spending of money on the trade mission.

“When your own base of supporters think it was a bad idea, it’s pretty clear that her trip was not well received,” added De Luca.

Full results of the poll will be revealed at the Civitas Institute’s monthly poll luncheon on Thursday, Oct. 29 at the Clarion Hotel in downtown Raleigh.

Full text of question: Now I am going to read you a list of issues affecting North Carolina, would you please tell me if you approve or disapprove of each of the following?

“Governor Bev Perdue spending $80,000 to go on a trade mission to Japan and China?”
APPROVE – 20.7%
Strongly Approve – 9.2%
Somewhat Approve – 11.5%
DISAPPROVE – 71.8%
Somewhat Disapprove – 13.8%
Strongly Disapprove – 58.0%
DON’T KNOW – 7.5%

This poll of 600 likely general election voters in North Carolina was conducted October 20-21, 2009 by McLaughlin and Associates of Alexandria, Virginia. All interviews were conducted via telephone by professional interviewers. Interview selection was random within predetermined geographic units. These units were structured to correlate with actual voter distributions in a statewide general election. The poll of 600 likely general election voters has an accuracy of +/- 4.0% at a 95% confidence interval.

WASHINGTON  – President Barack Obama says China and the United States appear poised to make what he calls “steady progress” on some of the world’s most pressing issues.

Speaking at the start of two days of high-level talks, the president said he’s under “no illusions” that Beijing and the United States will agree on every issue.

Those issues cover everything from the global economic crisis to nuclear proliferation.

In her remarks, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said the two nations are laying a foundation for a stronger relationship “brick by brick.”

Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and China’s top economic policymaker each voiced optimism that the global economy is showing signs of emerging from the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression.

RALEIGH, N.C.  – The pros and cons of U.S. trade with China get a hearing before a business-friendly audience in North Carolina.

China’s official economic counselor to the U.S. visits Raleigh on Tuesday to talk up expansion of commercial trade opportunities for U.S. companies in China. Chinese official Li Haiyan also plans to talk about the growing Asian economy’s legal and regulatory climate, and the barriers to entry that companies face.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is backing Li’s visit to a Raleigh country club. The business booster group wants to expand trade ties with one of the few economies in the world that is still growing.