(Image Source: U.S. State Department)

BY HARUMENDHAH HELMY

ANCHOR MEGAN MURPHY

You're watching multisource business news analysis from Newsy.

Two days of high-level talks between China and the United States have wrapped. Though it didn’t result in any major breakthroughs, some still say the dialogue was productive. Here’s how Bloomberg summed it up.
 

“...The two economic superpowers agreed to disagree on everything from human rights to the pace of China’s currency appreciation. The U.S. received commitments that American companies will be able to better compete for Chinese government contracts even at the local level. China will go further to protect intellectual property rights...”
 

Most of the post-dialogue coverage have positive things to say about the countries’ progress on a couple issues. The Wall Street Journal’s headline says...

“U.S.-China Talks Make Progress on Market Access”

And the Washington Post says...
 

“U.S., China reach ‘milestone’ agreement on security, economic policy”

But what really got the media talking was discussion on an issue that has consistently been the thorn in the side of the U.S.-China relationship:  Human rights.

Voice of America highlights Vice President Joe Biden’s candid remarks on the topic at the opening session of the talks.
 

“We’ve noted our concerns about the recent crackdowns in China. Including attacks, arrests and the disappearance of journalists, lawyers, bloggers and artists. And again, no relationship that’s real could be built on a false foundation. Where we disagree, it’s important to state it.”

And in an exclusive interview with a reporter for The Atlantic earlier this week, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton revealed some strong opinions regarding China’s take on human rights.

“After she referred to China's human rights record as ‘deplorable,’ I noted that the Chinese government seemed scared of the Arab rising. To which she responded: ‘Well, they are. They're worried, and they are trying to stop history, which is a fool's errand. They cannot do it. But they're going to hold it off as long as possible.’”
 

The Western media are highlighting those remarks, calling them quote- ‘harsh words’.

(Headlines from BBC, Voice of America and The Telegraph)
 

But China’s state-run news agency Xinhua takes a milder tone at the disagreement. The network quotes China’s vice foreign minister who says -- of course there will be clashes about human rights between U.S. and China.

“As China and the United States are at different stages of economic and social development, and have different histories and cultures, it is understandable that the two countries have different views on human rights issues… China would like to continue dialogue ... on human rights on the basis of equality and mutual respect.”
 

This week’s talks were the third installment of the so-called Strategic and Economic Dialogue between the Hu and Obama administrations.

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