Pelosi Praising China?

ABC News' Kristina Wong reports: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi praised the Chinese government today, in a noticeable departure from her longtime criticism of the Communist regime's human rights practices.

"They are on the move, and doing many things right," she said, at the Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C., where she spoke of her recent trip to China to meet face-to-face with Premier Wen Jiabao, President Hu Jintao and the National People's Congress Chairman Wu Bangguo. She said the primary topic of discussion was climate change and energy.

Pelosi praised the Chinese government's steps towards cleaner air in China, including implementing a high speed rail train, and closing down inefficient coal plants.

"The U.S. and China are the biggest emitters of greenhouse gases," she said, striking a tone of cooperation ahead of difficult international negotiations on climate change to take place later this year in
Copenhagen.

As the world's largest net emitter of greenhouse gases, China's leaders argue the country cannot limit its emissions while it is still undergoing industrial development, and say the U.S. faced no such limitation as it was developing.

"We're in this together; we share this planet," Pelosi said.

Pelosi dismissed news reports suggesting she downplayed the issue of human rights in her meetings with China's leaders, pointing out she was currently wearing a pin given to her by anti-Chinese government protestors in Hong Kong.

"It's not so much my view has changed, but my role has changed," she said, recalling how in 1991, she had unfurled a banner of protest in Tiananmen Square and was chased away by police. Now, as Speaker of the House, she could "express her views directly" to the Chinese leadership.

"We were very frank about human rights," she said.

Pelosi said the two sides also discussed North Korea's recent nuclear test and missile launches. She said the Chinese leaders conveyed the impression that they had "some ability but not unlimited" to coax the North back to the Six-Party Talks over North Korea's disarmament.

"They did not want full responsibility for bringing them back to the table," she said.

Pelosi joked that around this time last year, she was the "most hated person in China," for meeting with exiled Tibetan leader and human rights advocate, the Dalai Lama. But this year, she said she was
received with an "incredible show of hospitality."

Thomas Mann, senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, said that China's warm welcome of Speaker Pelosi reflects several factors – "recognition that Pelosi is a powerful Speaker of a very consequential
legislative body; while the two countries have different interests, their economic and environmental fates are inextricably linked; and a belief that dealings with President Obama will be strengthened with
good relations with the Democratic Speaker."

Pelosi said that relations between President Obama and Chinese President Hu Jintao were positive, and that they have established a "good rapport."

"We are economic competitors," Pelosi said firmly, but added, "I have to be an optimist. I could argue both ways, but I choose to look at it from a positive perspective."