In a tweet on Hu’s visit in early January, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs pointedly included human rights in a short list of agenda items he foresees for the summit. The reference to human rights may have been a precursor of what administration officials say will be the president's more "assertive" approach with Hu compared with that of the Beijing visit.
Still, Obama is not likely to shake his fist in Hu’s face and tick off human rights abuses in China as the two leaders chat over afternoon tea.
“American leaders figured out a long time ago that playing the village preacher with the Chinese is never very effective,” says Charles Freeman, a China specialist at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington. So while Obama can be expected to address the issue with Hu, no one should expect “some dramatic action or statement to score political points,” he adds.
