The U.S.-China relationship “has not been without disagreement and difficulty,” President Obama acknowledged during a town hall in Shanghai November 15. The key to a strong relationship based on mutual interests is “sustaining an open dialogue,” Obama told the student participants.

The president’s comments on Internet access in China received a lot of attention in U.S. media today. “In the United States, the fact that we have free Internet, or unrestricted Internet access, is a source of strength, and I think should be encouraged,” Obama said.

“I’m a big supporter of not restricting Internet use, Internet access, other information technologies like Twitter,” Obama said. “The more open we are, the more we can communicate. And it also helps to draw the world together.”

Obama’s China visit comes in the midst of a multi-country Asia tour. In Japan, he met with Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama and discussed the need to strengthen the nations’ already strong alliance. In Singapore, he gathered with numerous Asian leaders for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit which focused on sustainable growth strategies.