Geithner earns Chinese leader Hu’s praise in meeting

Chinese President Hu Jintao praised Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner for making a high priority of reaching out to China during a meeting between the two on Tuesday.

Hu and Geithner, who has been in China yesterday and today on official business, met at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing late Tuesday afternoon, according to a pool report.

“I have noticed that since you took office, you have established good working relationships with your Chinese colleagues, and you are committed to improving China-U.S. cooperation in the international arena,” Hu told Geithner. “I appreciate that.”

The Chinese leader added that he’s “confident” Geithner, who speaks a Chinese dialect and spent time as a college student studying in China, will help build a better relationship between the two countries.

“I bring to you the commitment of my President, to work with you in a cooperative relationship between our two countries,” Geithner said. “I think we