Sunnylands closes gates ahead of presidential visit
Sunnylands estate in Rancho Mirage will be closedto the public from today through June 9 for President Barack Obama’s meetingwith Chinese President Xi Jinping.
“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 his Chinese counterpart will meet at Sunnylands June 7-8 for”in-depth discussions on a wide range of bilateral, regional and globalissues.” The world leaders “will review progress and challenges in U.S.-Chinarelations over the past four years and discuss ways to enhance cooperation,while constructively managing our differences, in the years ahead,” the WhiteHouse said in a statement earlier this month.
The summit will be Obama’s first with Xi, who became president in March.
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 Leonore Annenberg were remarkablephilanthropists and diplomats who hoped that their estate could become a `CampDavid of the West,’ where the president would meet with world leaders topromote global peace and facilitate international agreements. The upcomingmeeting between President Obama and President Xi begins to fulfill thatvision.”
Sunnylands, which was built in the mid-1960s, has hosted presidents,foreign heads of state, Supreme Court justices and celebrities. Frequent guestsincluded Ronald and Nancy Reagan — who celebrated New Year’s there every yearof his presidency — and George H.W. and Barbara Bush.
Under Reagan, a U.S-Canadian trade agreement was signed at Sunnylands,and the Bushes hosted a state dinner there in honor of Japanese Prime MinisterToshiki Kaifu on one of the few occasions when a state dinner was held outsidethe White House.
