G20 Foundation Publications China 2016 | Page 8

WELCOME BARACK OBAMA President of the United States of America 8 As I’ve said before, the United States welcomes the rise of a peaceful, stable, and prosperous China, working with us to address global challenges. And I have been committed throughout my administration to working effectively with China on a whole range of issues and have developed a frank and effective level of communications cooperation with President Xi as we seek to expand cooperation between our countries and narrow our differences. The United States and China have established a relationship when it comes to nuclear security, and that includes China’s new Nuclear Security Center of Excellence. I believe we can deepen our cooperation, including against nuclear smuggling. Of great importance to both of us is North Korea’s pursuit of nuclear weapons, which threatens the security and stability of the region. And President Xi and I are both committed to the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and full implementation of UN sanctions. So we’re going to discuss how we can discourage action like nuclear missile tests that escalate tensions and violate international obligations. I’m also very pleased that today we’re announcing new steps to accelerate