OpinionSunnylands: the serious side to a casual chat
Sunnylands powwow a first step to building the special relationship that Washington and Beijing need for tackling global problems
When it came to summit meetings with American presidents in the past, Chinese leaders cared about the pomp and protocol more than anything else.
Any deal or breakthrough and what was to be said during the summits were agreed long beforehand.
All that was left to worry about were the photo opportunities, the 21-gun salute, and the grand dinner at the White House, beamed back on national television to the domestic audience.
That is why it is interesting to note that President Xi Jinping agreed to the two-day informal meeting with Barack Obama at the Sunnylands Estate in southern California.
The informal setting has seen the leaders of the world's largest economies spend more than eight hours spread over two meetings, one dinner, and a photo opportunity while they strolled the grounds, developing a rapport amid several high-stake issues.
Although there is little evidence of concrete progress on issues ranging from cybersecurity to intellectual property rights, both sides have used big words while heaping praise.