Politics & Government

Presidents Obama, Xi Jinping Wrap Meetings at Sunnylands

The two leaders were meeting on Friday and Saturday in Rancho Mirage, in an event dubbed the "Sunnylands Summit."

The following was reported by City News Service:

President Barack Obama and Chinese President Xi Jinping met for a second day Saturday at the Sunnylands estate in Rancho Mirage, the closing hours of their two-day summit.

After 9 a.m. Saturday, the two presidents walked out of the main house and talked as their interpreters followed. A U.S. reporter asked Mr. Obama, "How have the meetings gone, Mr. President?" The president replied, "Terrific."

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The two men walked across an expanse of grass, described by a pool reporter as "bucolic," and over a pedestrian bridge.

Both presidents wore shirts with open collars. Obama's sleeves were rolled up, and Xi's were buttoned down.

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Saturday, the two said they only briefly discussed cybersecurity at their first meeting.

"What both President Xi and I recognize is that because of these incredible advances in technology that the issue of cyber security and the need for rules and common approaches to cybersecurity are going to be increasingly important as part of bilateral relationships and multilateral relationships," Obama said.

"In some ways, these are uncharted waters and  you don't have the kinds of protocols that cover military issues for examples and arms issues where nations have a lot of experiencing in trying to negotiate what's acceptable and what's not."

Speaking through an interpreter, Xi said "the Chinese government is firm in upholding cybersecurty and we have major concerns about cybersecurity."

Xi said he noticed "a sharp increase in media coverage" of cybersecurity in the days before his meeting with Obama, that might "give people the sense or feeling that cybersecurity as a threat mainly comes from China or that the issue (of) cybersecurity is the biggest problem in the U.S.- China relationship."

"We need to pay close attention to this issue and study ways to effectively resolve this issue," Xi said. "This matter can actually be an area for China and the United States to work together ... in a pragmatic way."       The two met until nearly 8 p.m., fielded questions from reporters for 37 minutes, then had what was described as a "working dinner" from 8:55- 10:44 p.m.

Obama used his welcoming remarks to pledge to continue to emphasize human rights during his talks with Xi.

"President Xi has spoken of a nation and a people that are committed to continuous self-improvement and progress and history shows that upholding universal rights are ultimately a key to success and prosperity and justice for all nations," Obama said.

Xi said in his welcoming remarks that the leaders of both nations "need to think creatively and act energetically so that working together we can build a new model of major country relationship."

Xi also called for increased "exchanges and cooperation" between the U.S. and China.

"Our two countries have vast convergence of shared interests, from promoting our respective economic growth at home to ensuring the stability of the global economy; from addressing international and regional hot spot issues to dealing with all kinds of global challenges," Xi said.

Obama and Xi were expected to tackle such thorny questions as North Korea's nuclear program and Chinese hacking into American sites in search of corporate and national security secrets -- a subject stressed by Obama administration officials in pre-summit briefings this week.

Obama and Xi, who became president of the world's most populous nation in March, met last year, when Xi was vice president.

An administration official this week elaborated on the theme of the two nuclear superpowers managing their ties and avoiding flareups born from miscalculations.

"On this issue of building a new model of great power relations, I think both leaders have recognized that there is a danger that a rising power and an established power could come into conflict at some point," the official said.

He expressed the belief that Obama and Xi see "that to avoid ... this trap of rivalry between a rising power and an established power, that it's important to put in place ... bilateral mechanisms that allow them to deal with the greatest sources of instability and competition."   Obama arrived in Palm Springs aboard Air Force One at about 3:15 p.m. Saturday and was greeted by dignitaries including Gov. Jerry Brown, Rep. Raul Ruiz, D-Palm Desert, Rancho Mirage Mayor Richard Kite and Palm Springs Mayor Steve Pougnet. Obama then traveled to Sunnylands by motorcade.

Obama was to meet with Xi until midday today. Air Force One is due to depart California Sunday.

A White House official speaking on condition of anonymity said Tuesday that topics will range from "efforts to promote economic growth around the world to some of the leading security challenges that we face, like the situation in North Korea, to the ongoing necessity of cybersecurity."

U.S. defense officials have blamed some cyberattacks, including against American defense contractors, on the Chinese military.

"One of the issues that threatens to damage U.S-China relations, as well as potentially damage the international economy and China's reputation, is the use of cyber technology -- particularly as a means of obtaining intellectual property from American companies and institutions," said a senior administration official at a briefing before the summit.

"...I think that the message the president will send is that there's an expectation that all of us working together to protect the infrastructure of the global economy against cyber intrusion, and that countries need to meet their responsibilities."

White House officials said the meetings at Sunnylands would be somewhat informal, in contrast to the more rigid trappings of an official state visit.

"...We felt that having this type of ... informal setting for discussions between the two leaders would allow them to cover the broadest possible agenda" and not cybersecurity alone.

Sunnylands will remain closed to the public until next week. The estate was built in the mid-1960s and has hosted presidents, foreign heads of state, Supreme Court justices and celebrities. Frequent guests have included Ronald and Nancy Reagan -- who celebrated New Year's there every year of his presidency -- and George H.W. and Barbara Bush.


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