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Xi's US Visit 2015
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China's President Xi Jinping sits opposite US President Barack Obama during their private working dinner in Washington on Thursday evening. Photo: Tencent

Sensitive issues on menu during ‘private time’ at Xi Jinping and Barack Obama’s working dinner

President Xi Jinping and his US counterpart President Barack Obama took advantage of some “private time” together for some “real exchange” during a working dinner in Washington on Thursday night (Friday morning HK time) – soon after the Chinese leader arrived in the US capital.

READ MORE: Everything you need to know about Xi Jinping's US visit

The dinner at Blair House, a guest residence just a short walk from the White House – with limited seating that can accommodate only Xi and Obama and senior officials, such as US vice-president Joe Biden – was important because it would enable the two leaders time to discuss many sensitive issues before their public activities began on Friday, a US official said.

[The informal dinner offers] less pressure, a smaller, intimate setting to have a real exchange.  ... hopefully will have a similar kind of dialogue
Daniel Kritenbrink, US official

The two presidents would have “multiple hours” together during Xi's visit, including the private dinner lasting about two hours, said Daniel Kritenbrink, senior director for Asian affairs on the National Security Council.

“[The informal dinner offers] less pressure, a smaller, intimate setting to have a real exchange,” said Kritenbrink, who also attended the dinner. 

“The intention is to replicate that kind of atmosphere with the venue, and hopefully will have a similar kind of dialogue.

“I think these two presidents have demonstrated over the last couple of years that they have developed that kind of relationship, where they can be candid with one another – respectful, yet candid and clear.”

These two presidents have demonstrated they have developed the kind of relationship where they can be candid with one another – respectful, yet candid and clear
Daniel Kritenbrink, US official

Although the two leaders had always communicated through interpreters on previous occasions, Kritenbrink said he believed Xi could understand English.

The two powerful nations have many issues to sort out between them, including cyber security, South China Sea disputes, great market access, economic stability, and the repatriation of Chinese fugitives, although most observers believe there will not be any major policy breakthroughs during Xi’s lavish state visit.

On Friday, Xi will be the guest of honour at a formal state dinner at the White House – the 10th such state dinner to be hosted by Obama.

The White House has said previously that the dinner would be a key part of Xi’s state visit.

Officials at the White House said on Thursday that the state dinner would feature a four-course meal – beginning with wild mushroom soup with black truffles, followed by Maine lobster and Colorado Lamb, and finish with a fancy bread pudding dessert.

Comerford said all the ingredients for the state dinner had been freshly selected from nearby regions, with some – including the squash seeds and drizzled pumpkin-seed oil – picked from the White House’s Kitchen Garden.

Friday’s state dinner will also be the first time that the US first lady, Michelle Obama, will have joined her husband in hosting a visit by Xi and his wife, China’s first lady Peng Liyuan, in the US.

However, in keeping with convention, the Obamas’ two daughters will be unlikely to attend the state dinner.

Michelle Obama has checked and approved the decor for the state dinner inside the White House, including the selection of roses and table clothes.

About 210 guests would be attending Friday’s state dinner, said Joanna Rosholm, press secretary to Michelle Obama.

However, she did not provide any further details about the identities of those that had been invited.

Kritenbrink said many of the guests were “stake holders” from the business community, but overall there would be a “good and faithful representation across all sections of American society”.

“It’s an opportunity to make sure that the Chinese leadership hears from a wide cross-section of America.”

Xi’s trip to the US capital followed his two-day stay in Seattle, where he met American business executives and tech industry titans.

He landed with his wife in Washington at 5pm on Thursday, where he was greeted by the US. Vice-President Joe Biden and his wife. Jill Biden.

On Thursday afternoon, Xi and Pope Francis had landed at US cities almost at the same time – the Chinese president in Washington and the Pope in New York.

However, Xi’s arrival received much less attention on television.

Major US television stations, as well as Washington’s local stations, all chose to show a live broadcast of the Pope’s trip in New York.

Pope Francis, who had earlier visited the White House had been due to fly out from the capital an hour before Xi’s arrival, was still the talk of the town on Thursday as Xi arrived.

Vatican flags continued fluttering along the main streets as street vendors tried to sell their remaining commemorative Pope T-shirts in the centre of Washington. The flags were replaced only later on Thursday afternoon.

The White House denied claims that that China had suggested rescheduling Xi’s visit to avoid overlapping with the stay of Pope Francis.

It said that the timing was “mutually convenient” for both sides, even though both sides understood that it would be a busy time before the United Nation General Assembly meeting, in New York next Monday.

“The timing of the visit was reached bilaterally through consultation by both sides with a full understanding of the contexts in which the visit will take place and everything that will schedule during this timing,” Kritenbrink said.

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