Obama elevates climate-change issue

Negotiations between the US and Japan in TPP have hit a snag over the opening of agricultural and automobile market.

Obama called for bringing more manufacturing jobs back to the US and said that "more than half of manufacturing executives have said they're actively looking at bringing jobs back from China." However, he did not give source for that number.

A US-China Business Council survey of its members last year showed that an overwhelming majority of US businesses are profitable in China and plan to expand their businesses in the world's most populous country.

US Trade Representative Michael Froman last month touted the benefits of trade with China by saying that the US exports to China have grown by more than 50 times since 1983 and bilateral investment has also skyrocketed. China is now the US' second-largest trading partner.

Obama vowed to strengthen cyber security and combat terrorism. He said the US is modernizing its alliances in the Asia Pacific region while making sure that other nations play by the rules – in how they trade, how they resolve maritime disputes, and how they participate in meeting common international challenges like nonproliferation and disaster relief.

"And no challenge – no challenge – poses a greater threat to future generations than climate change," said Obama, in front of a Congress abundant of climate change deniers.

Obama praised his landmark climate deal concluded with Chinese President Xi Jinping during his trip to China last November.

"In Beijing, we made a historic announcement – the United States will double the pace at which we cut carbon pollution, and China committed, for the first time, to limiting their emissions," Obama said.

He said that because the world's two largest economies came together, other nations are now stepping up, and offering hope that, this year, the world will finally reach an agreement to protect the planet.