‘Ni hao’: Barack Obama takes the personal approach with Xi Jinping during private dinner
Washington hopes intimate setting can help cut to the chase for Chinese president's visit
US President Barack Obama greeted visiting Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping with a “ni hao” yesterday as the two leaders spent almost three hours over a private dinner discussing issues that have been straining bilateral ties.
While there has been little expectation that Xi’s state visit – his first as president – would lead to a major breakthrough in the otherwise troubled relationship, analysts said the opportunity for the two leaders to sit in the same room was particularly important as the White House had been finding it hard to get its views heard at the highest level under the current Chinese leadership.
READ MORE: Everything you need to know about Xi's visit
In what appeared to be an attempt to replicate the format of previous summits – adding meetings in more casual settings to the otherwise formal itinerary – the two presidents spent a “number of hours” together on Thursday evening, including a two and half hour private dinner.
“[They want something that offers] less pressure, a smaller, intimate setting to have a real exchange,” said Daniel Kritenbrink, a senior director for Asian affairs on the National Security Council, before the dinner.
“The intention is to replicate that kind of atmosphere with the venue, and hopefully have a similar kind of dialogue,” said Kritenbrink, who attended the dinner.