Sunnylands to close ahead of presidential visit

Starting Friday, Sunnylands estate in RanchoMirage will be closed to the public through June 9 for President Barack Obama’smeeting with China’s president.

“The primary mission of the Annenberg Foundation Trust at Sunnylands isto provide a retreat space for world leaders to come together and discuss themost pressing issues of the day,” a Sunnylands spokeswoman said.

Obama and Chinese President Xi Jinping will meet at Sunnylands June 7-8for “in-depth discussions on a wide range of bilateral, regional and globalissues.” The world leaders “will review progress andchallenges in U.S.-China relations over the past four years and discuss waysto enhance cooperation, while constructively managing our differences, in theyears ahead,” according to a White House statement.

The summit will be Obama’s first meeting with Jinping since he becamepresident of China in March. National Security adviser Tom Donilon was slatedto be in Beijing this week to prepare for the meeting, according to the WhiteHouse.

Sunnylands will operate on regular schedule for the rest of June, andwill be closed July and August. The estate opened to the public last year.

“We are profoundly honored that President Obama has chosen Sunnylandsas the venue for this important meeting,” said Geoffrey Cowan, president of theAnnenberg Foundation Trust at Sunnylands. “(Ambassador) Walter and LeonoreAnnenberg were remarkable philanthropists and diplomats who hoped that theirestate could become a `Camp David of the West,’ where the president would meetwith world leaders to promote global peace and facilitate internationalagreements. The upcoming meeting between President Obama and President Xibegins to fulfill that vision.”

Sunnylands, which was built in the mid-1960s, has hosted presidents,foreign heads of state, Supreme Court justices and celebrities.

Frequent guests included Ronald and Nancy Reagan — who celebrated NewYear’s there every year of his presidency — and George H.W. and Barbara Bush.Reagan met with Secretary of State George Shultz there and signed a tradeagreement with Canada. The Bushes hosted a state dinner there in honor ofJapanese Prime Minister Toshiki Kaifu. It was one of the few occasions where astate dinner was held outside the White House.