Chinese President Xi Jinping was warmly welcomed by U.S. officials at the airport after he arrived in San Francisco on Tuesday for a summit with U.S. President Joe Biden, and the 30th APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting.
U.S. officials, including California Governor Gavin Newsom and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, were present at the airport to welcome President Xi.
Along the way from the airport to the hotel, many overseas Chinese people were seen lining up waving the national flags of China and the United States to greet Xi.
"We are very welcoming to him. It's really important that you know with APEC that it's a good opportunity for he and Biden to really reset our relationship and to continue growing," said Robert Weisenmiller, former chair of the California Energy Commission.
The two presidents will have in-depth discussions on issues of strategic, overarching, and fundamental importance in shaping China-U.S. relations and major issues concerning world peace and development, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Monday.
Xi's upcoming talks with Biden will be the first face-to-face meeting between the two presidents since they met on the sidelines of the G20 summit last year in Bali, Indonesia. However, 2022 proved difficult for ties between the two nations, with then-U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to China's Taiwan region badly straining relations.
Optimism slowly crept up later this year. Beijing and Washington have reestablished communication and maintained frequent interactions across various sectors in recent months, setting new conditions for the upcoming talks between the two leaders.
The world is watching whether the two heads of state can improve on the outcomes from Bali and make new developments in bilateral ties in San Francisco.
"I got excited when I saw the leaders of China and the leaders of the United States putting aside all of the differences in the geopolitical challenges that their teams are discussing on a regular basis to sit down at APEC. Because they recognize the importance of this type of engagement," said Ertharin Cousin, former director of the UN World Food Programme.
During his stay, Chinese President Xi Jinping will also attend a series of events, aiming to find common ground with leaders from Asia-Pacific economic entities. San Francisco is the host city for APEC Leaders' Week 2023 from November 11 to 17, with the theme "Creating a Resilient and Sustainable Future for All."
(Cover: Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) arrives at San Francisco International Airport for a summit with U.S. President Joe Biden and to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Economic Leaders' Meeting, San Francisco, the U.S., November 14, 2023. /Xinhua)