Summits for all diplomatic seasons: how the US has set the stage for Xi Jinping

Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to the US is his first to the country since 2023 and his eighth face-to-face meeting with Donald Trump. From informal walk-and-talks to a state dinner, Xi’s meetings across four American administrations show how personal rapport and official diplomacy reflect the growing complexity of US-China relations.

Xi’s first US visit as president: a shirtsleeves summit

In June 2013, just months after assuming the presidency, Xi travelled to the United States following a tour of Latin America.

According to then US president Barack Obama, “Our decision to meet so early [in Xi’s term] signifies the importance of the US-China relationship.”

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Instead of heading to the diplomatic protocol-heavy capital of Washington, Xi’s historic first meeting with Obama took place at the Annenberg Retreat at Sunnylands, a 200-acre (81-hectare) estate in Rancho Mirage, California.

Originally built as a winter haven by publishers and philanthropists Walter and Leonore Annenberg – close friends of former US president Dwight Eisenhower – the estate holds a unique place in American history as a secluded sanctuary that has often hosted political heavyweights.