Obama and Chinese leader Xi open 2 days of meetings with a handshake at California retreat

RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. – President Barack Obama and Chinese President Xi Jinping have opened two days of meetings with a handshake at a California retreat.

Obama is welcoming Xi to a sprawling desert estate for talks on high-stakes issues, including cybersecurity and North Korea’s nuclear threats. It’s the first meeting between the two leaders since Xi took office in March.

Obama and Xi, in suit coats and white shirts but no ties, shook hands under a shaded walkway at the 200-acre Sunnylands estate just outside Palm Springs, California. They plan to take questions from reporters Friday evening after a bilateral meeting. They’ll also have discussions during a working dinner Friday night and hold additional talks Saturday morning.