US President Barack Obama will hold his first summit with President Xi Jinping in California next month, with Sino-US relations rattled by alleged Chinese cyber spying and tensions in the Pacific.
Obama will welcome Xi to the plush Sunnylands estate resort in Palm Springs on June 7-8, as Washington seeks Chinese help to subdue North Korean belligerence and seeks a diplomatic breakthrough to end the slaughter in Syria.
The talks will be the first major move by Obama in the crucial but delicate relationship with Beijing since he won a second White House term, after a campaign in which China and its trade practices were often criticised.
President Obama and President Xi will hold in depth discussions on a wide range of bilateral, regional and global issues
“President Obama and President Xi will hold in depth discussions on a wide range of bilateral, regional and global issues,” the White House said in a statement.
“They will review progress and challenges in US-China relations over the past four years and discuss ways to enhance co-operation, while constructively managing our differences, in the years ahead.”
The White House said that Obama’s national security adviser Tom Donilon would travel to Beijing to prepare for the Obama-Xi meeting between May 26-28.
Previously, Obama and Xi had not been expected to meet until the G20 summit in Russia in September, but given the fact that both leaders are embarking on new terms of office, it appears both sides were keen for an earlier meeting.