US President Barack Obama spoke by phone with his Chinese counterpart Hu Jintao on Wednesday with the leaders voicing hope for progress at December climate change talks, China's state media reported.

However, Hu also hinted at widespread expectations that progress could be elusive during the talks in Copenhagen, Xinhua news agency said.

The two nations are the world's largest emitters of the greenhouse gases blamed for global warming and are seen as key to the success of global negotiations.

"China and the United States face common challenges in the climate change area and hold common interests," Xinhua news agency quoted Hu as telling Obama.

"Although negotiations are currently fraught with all kinds of problems that need to be resolved, as long as all sides extend their hands and make efforts there is hope the Copenhagen meeting can make positive progress."

More than 190 countries will converge on the Danish capital to try to hammer out a treaty to tackle global warming that will succeed the Kyoto Protocol, which expires in 2012.

Developed nations have pushed emerging giants such as China and India, which had no obligations under Kyoto, to commit to some sort of binding action on reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

But Beijing and other developing nations have repeatedly balked at the request, saying industralised nations should bear the brunt of the responsibility.

"To develop bilateral cooperation on climate change issues is not only in the interests of the common efforts by the international community to address climate change, but is of important significance to the advancement of Sino-US relations," Hu told Obama.

China was willing to contribute to the success of the Copenhagen meeting and would maintain a "positive and constructive attitude" on negotiations based on the principle of "common but differentiated responsibilities", Hu said.

The two leaders also discussed Obama's upcoming visit to China next month, the report said.

"Both the United States and China have taken important measures in dealing with climate change," Xinhua quoted Obama as saying.

"The two sides should make concerted efforts to push for the adoption of concrete and meaningful steps in facing up to the challenges of climate change at the Copenhagen Conference, and to make the conference a success."

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