Obama also made a "forceful" presentation on Iran's nuclear program, and asked China, a UN Security Council permanent member, to work with Washington on the issue as it had on North Korea's atomic program, a senior official said.

Hu and Obama met for the second time, following their initial meeting in London in April, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly and days before the G20 economic summit in Pittsburgh.

"I am committed to pursuing a genuinely cooperative and comprehensive relationship with China," Obama said during a photo-op ahead of the meeting at New York's Waldorf Astoria hotel.

"We can make our relationship more dynamic and effective," Obama said, adding, "I am very much looking forward to my visit to China in November."

Hu echoed Obama's words, vowing to work for a "positive, cooperative and comprehensive relationship for the 21st century."

"The Chinese side is also willing to work with the United States to properly handle essential issues to ensure our relationship will continue to grow on a sound and steady course," Hu said.

The summit was "friendly and warm," the official said, on condition of anonymity, adding that the two men and their delegations also discussed policy on North Korea, climate change, global economic recovery and economics.

The US president tried to reassure Hu over the row sparked this month when he slapped duties on Chinese tire imports blamed for undercutting US products and costing American jobs.

Obama and Hu had a "candid discussion of differences" the official said.

"The tire issue came up, the Chinese remain concerned about it," the official said.

"The president emphasized that we noted that we had differences on the issue, and said that the US remains firmly committed to free trade and resisting protectionism."

The official said that Obama told Hu the action did not signal a wider attempt to stifle China's imports, but applied solely to one particular case.

The United States this month imposed punitive tariffs of 35 percent on Chinese-made tire imports -- a move that prompted Beijing to lodge a complaint at the World Trade Organization.

Beijing charges that Washington's move violates WTO rules but Obama has denied that it amounted to protectionism.

Obama also enlisted China's help on Iran, ahead of crucial talks between world powers with the Islamic Republic in Geneva on October 1.

"The president was forceful in the presentation on Iran," the official said.

"I don't believe there could be any mistake in the meeting about whether this was a run of the mill issue.

"There's no doubt in my mind that the Chinese understood how important this issue was to the United States and to the president. I have no doubt of that."

China, thanks to its Security Council position, will play a key role in any US attempt to seek the imposition of crippling sanctions on Iran should it fail to halt its nuclear drive.

In the discussion on North Korea, Obama said that he would be willing to contemplate bilateral talks with Pyongyang if they could help bring about the Stalinist state's return to the six-party talks on its nuclear program.

He also said the United States and China must show "solidarity" on North Korea, to prevent the isolated state from exploiting gaps with "bad behavior," the official said.

Hu earlier made a key speech at a UN climate conference and pledged to curb the growth in China's carbon dioxide emissions by a "notable margin" by 2020 from their 2005 levels, though he did not give an exact figure.

He is set to attend the General Assembly meeting on Wednesday, before heading on to Pittsburgh on Thursday for the G20 summit of developed and developing nations.

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