Obama Ends G-20 Summit With Criticism of China

SEOUL, South Korea — The Group of 20 major economies took initial steps to address imbalances in the global economy on Friday. But they did not act as assertively asPresident Obama had hoped, and he left little doubt that he considered one country, China, the primary source of the problem.

Scrapping a longtime practice of speaking with diplomatic caution about China’s currency policy, Mr. Obama accused Beijing of intervening aggressively to keep its currency, the renminbi, below its market value to promote exports. He said it was a mistake for nations to think that “their path to prosperity is paved simply with exports to the United States.”

“Precisely because of China’s success, it’s very important that it act in a responsible fashion internationally,” Mr. Obama said at a news conference at the conclusion of the economic summit meeting here. “And the issue of the renminbi is one that is an irritant not just to the United States, but is an irritant to a lot of China’s trading partners and those who are competing with China to sell goods around the world.”