Presidents Xi and Obama take stroll, cover many topics in private meal at Blair House day before state dinner

President Xi Jinping and his US counterpart Barack Obama held an extended three-hour private dinner Tuesday night ahead of their formal talks on Friday, apparently investing more time in building personal ties.

The private dinner was originally scheduled for two hours, with people close to the arrangement saying that the two leaders explored many topics in an easygoing mood.

Almost immediately after Xi landed at Andrews Air Force Base in Washington, Obama invited him for dinner Thursday night at Blair House, the guest residence steps from the White House, before hours-long formal talks and a black-tie state dinner slated for Friday.

The two presidents walked shoulder to shoulder in Washington's mid-autumn twilight, down Pennsylvania Avenue to the Blair House, reminding audiences of their impressive two occasions of unusual tie-less talks during the past two years.

State Councilor Yang Jiechi, Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Xi's presidential office head and chief aide Ding Xuexiang joined the dinner.

While on the US side, Secretary of State John Kerry and National Security Adviser Susan Rice also were at the informal dinner.

Biden greeted Xi and his wife Peng Liyuan in the afternoon when his plane touched down at the military base near Washington.

Analysts said that apparently the two leaders are investing more time in building their personal ties compared with their arrangements with other world leaders.

Obama and Xi held an unusually informal summit at the Sunnylands estate in Southern

California in June 2013, months after Xi became the Chinese president.

Last year, Obama traveled to Beijing for a state visit and a regional summit, and the two leaders strolled in the sprawling gardens next to the Forbidden City. They held a lengthy private dinner that helped yield a heavyweight climate-change agreement.

Fan Jishe, a US studies researcher at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said the kind of private, intimate talks and personal conversations between Xi and Obama will help nurture personal trust between the two nations' leaders and give them a chance to exchange visions on each countries' strategic issues, which has been a key concern for many people.

"We don't usually say this, but in the past, the top leaders' meetings were much more formal and sometimes ceremonial, during which personal relationships were not easy to be established." Fan said.

"The current small-scale and face-to-face meetings allow the two leaders to talk about matters frankly and sincerely, especially regarding some topics that are not likely to be raised during formal political meetings," Fan added.

"I think what's been distinct about their relationship, starting at Sunnylands, is far and away the most constructive engagements they've had have been in their private dinners," Ben Rhodes, Obama's deputy national security adviser, was quoted by The Associated Press as saying.

The state visit will formally begin Friday morning with a 21-gun salute welcoming ceremony on the White House South Lawn. The leaders will then hold private talks in the Oval Office and hold a large-scale meeting with many ministers before taking questions at a joint press conference. A state dinner will be held on Friday evening.

Contact the writer at wujiao@chinadaily.com.cn and chenmengwei@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily USA 09/25/2015 page2)