US, Chinese Presidents Wrap Up California Summit
by VOA News June 08, 2013
U.S. President Barack Obama and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, have concluded their two-day meeting in California, seen as a chance at a fresh start to a complicated, often tense relationship.
The leaders of the world's two largest economies began their informal talks Friday evening at the Sunnylands estate near Los Angeles. It was their first meeting since President Xi took office in March.
After more than two hours of discussions, Obama and Xi told reporters late Friday that they had agreed on the need to work together to tackle cybersecurity issues. President Xi expressed hope the two nations can build a new model of 'big country' relations.
Recent reports have accused China-based operations of stealing U.S. military and commercial secrets through cyber espionage. China has denied the claims and says it also is a victim of cyber spying.
The California meeting was described by U.S. officials as an opportunity for President Obama and President Xi to speak candidly about the issues affecting their two nations.
The two leaders were also expected to address China's concerns about increased U.S. engagement in the Asia-Pacific region, as well as Chinese demands for easier access to U.S. markets. North Korea's nuclear program was another topic expected to be high on the agenda.
North Korea depends heavily on China for aid and trade. Beijing maintains close ties with Pyongyang, but North Korea's belligerent rhetoric, a rocket launch and another nuclear test in the past year have strained even China's patience. President Xi has called on North Korean leaders to return to nuclear disarmament talks.
The Chinese leader arrived in California Thursday after visits to Mexico, Costa Rica and Trinidad.
He and Obama were originally scheduled to hold their first meeting of the year in September at the G 20 Summit in Russia. But both sides agreed there was a need to meet earlier.
|
NEWSLETTER
|
| Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list |
|
|
|
