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I think in order to answer your questions, one must understand the internal changes that have been brewing in China. Economically, China is developing a middle class, it has trade and labor unions, and more importantly China's chief consumer of it's exports is the United States.
The evolution of China has been in progress for a long time.
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It is pretty much common knowledge that American Presidents are pretty well versed on the issues of nations prior to visiting and making speeches in those nations. The job of the Secretary of State is to precede the President in countries where the President is scheduled to visit to reconnoitre and inform. Hillary Clinton was in China last month I believe. So in my opinion the President had Intel enough to be comfortable with his message to the Chinese people.

This nation has been officially censuring China for decades over its human rights violations. As Charles pointed out, changes have been occurring in China. It is evolving a bit at a time towards a more free society.

I find no harm but only benefit in his addressing personal freedom.

Whether or not he's invited back, is the least of my concerns. The fact we have sent and are continuing to deposit so much of our money with China concerns me more.

World rulership has been its goal for centuries. I doubt anything has changed. Where we have trouble sticking to a 5-year plan, China is willing to work for a century to attain its goals.

I don't know about the liberalization of China. It might be Capitalistic, but liberal, I think not. The Chinese have crushed democracy and ethic identity in too many instances from Tienanmen Square through the Tibetan people to the Uighur.

Obama, himself, is exercising caution; avoiding meeting anyone that might be considered open to democracy and liberalization.

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"Is America being capricious because their economic difficulties force them to be nicer to China and other countries, or is this a genuine change?” asked Liu Ziqi, 18, a freshman at the University of International Business and Economics. “I don’t know.”

I think this was an astute question that the author may have penned without knowing the crust of the issue. Right now America is on the short end of the economic stick. It's trade economics in reverse. It is we seeking trade with a growing economy like China was doing in the 70's 80's, when we were the top dogs economically. I think the President is using a judo philosophy in dealing with China which is " bend , but don't break ". Use your opponents strength against himself. Right now China's strength is trade with it's largest market ( US ). If our economy fails, China could be drug down with us.

One prominent defense lawyer, Mo Shaoping, said, “The U.S. should be the safeguard of universal values,” Mr. Mo said, but Mr. Obama “actually didn’t make it a very high priority.”

Guantanamo, Abu Ghraib, renditions, enhanced interrogation techniques...... It might be considered hypocrisy, if we push that button any more.

Mr Mo Shaoping left out two words. ( Where Feasible ).

Guantanamo, Abu Ghraib, renditions, enhanced interrogation techniques...... It might be considered hypocrisy, if we push that button any more

That buttons been pushed a lot in American history. We've only been human rights conscious as a nation for about 40 years?
The trail of tears ( Cherokee Indians )
Jim Crow
Japanese internment camps circa WWII

We still have reservations ( Indians ) in America.
I think the rest of the world is pretty well versed on our human rights record. We can't point fingers.