Obama-Xi Palm Springs summit: Cyber security, North Korea, and Syria on US-China agenda

[ucrdem]

Source: UK Telegraph


the venue, a 200-acre "ranch" known as Sunnyland

By Tom Phillips, Shanghai and Peter Foster in Washington, 1:13PM BST 07 Jun 2013


Barack Obama and the new Chinese president Xi Jinping will meet at a Californian ranch on Friday and Saturday for an unprecedented "informal" summit designed to reset relations at a critical juncture in the modern US-China relationship. The following are the key issues that are expected to top the agenda:

CYBER SECURITY - On the American side, this is fast becoming a top-tier issue after an avalanche of US allegations accusing China of involvement in a wave of attacks on US businesses, media organisations and government institutions. Last week the Washington Post obtained a report claiming Chinese hackers had even compromised designs for some of the most important US weapons systems and Chuck Hagel, the US defense secretary, warned that continued attacks threatened "dangerous outcomes".

(snip)

SYRIA - Mr Obama will touch on US frustrations over China's refusal to back UN resolutions on Syria. China has called on the international community to play an "active and constructive role" in resolving the Syrian crisis and has condemned EU moves to end an arms embargo restriction on the supply of weapons to opposition groups. Washington seems unlikely to make much headway on Syria. In an interview with Foreign Policy last week, China's new US ambassador suggested Beijing was unlikely to change its position.

(snip)

CLIMATE CHANGE - Climate change is perhaps one of the most daunting issues on the Obama-Xi agenda but analysts suggest it also offers one of the best opportunities for a public show of unity between the world's top two carbon emitters. In his 2013 State of the Union speech Barack Obama praised China for "going all-in on clean energy" and urged his country to act against climate change "before it's too late".

Read more: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/barackobama/10106009/Obama-Xi-summit-cyber-security-North-Korea-and-Syria-on-US-China-agenda.html

---

Why Palm Springs, I don't know, but it's probably going to top 110 degrees before the day's out.

[ucrdem]

1. RT: US-China cyberwar tops agenda

Cyber ceasefire? US and China square off over Internet espionage claims
Published time: June 07, 2013 12:44



The issue of cyber-attacks, accusations of which have marred US-China relations for months, is set to be discussed by the two nations’ leaders at their first informal meeting, scheduled to take place in Sunnylands, California.

The talks have been preceded by months of back-and-forth allegations of cyber-espionage. Washington in particular has repeatedly accused Beijing of perpetrating cyber-warfare, while China has continuously denied the accusations.

The latest round in this blame game saw the US Defense Science Board publish a report saying that nearly 40 Pentagon weapons programs and almost 30 other defense technologies were compromised by Chinese hackers, some allegedly tied to the military or government.

(snip)

"We have mountains of data, if we wanted to accuse the US, but it's not helpful in solving the problem," said Huang Chengqing, director of CNCERT, China’s cyber-security body.

http://rt.com/news/obama-xi-cyber-hacking-356/

[Sunlei]

2. we should just place up a free satellite internet for all and let all the people see what they miss.

what can the worlds countries do? take away all their peoples cell phones.

Palm Springs, Californian ranch. That must be a beautiful resort.

[ucrdem]

4. hope they brought bathing suits

and the A/C holds out!

[Sunlei]

5. everyone has some type of cheap cellphone. reminds me people in some countries may benefit from glob

al weather reports.

[JDPriestly]

11. I'm wondering who owns that ranch.

Is it a resort open to the public or is some rich, corporate money-bag providing the accommodations? Penny Pritzker or some of her family? Some "patriot" like that?

By the way, Mr. President, I have a small house in Los Angeles. I could make it available any time. You could see how real America lives.

[ucrdem]

3. More on Sunnylands. . .

Profile: Sunnylands, 'Camp David of the US West Coast'
BBC 7 June 2013 Last updated at 08:37 ET



In the Coachella Valley of southern California, surrounded by desert and mountains, lies a luxury estate that aspires to be the "Camp David of the West Coast".

Sunnylands has played host to seven US presidents, royalty, Hollywood icons and world leaders since it was built in the mid-1960s as a winter home for the late publisher, philanthropist, art collector and former ambassador to the UK, Walter Annenberg, and his wife Leonore.

In 2001, the Annenbergs directed that their estate be made available to serve as a "sanctuary for generations of high-level national and world leaders seeking the privacy, peace, and 'the pause' needed for solving the most pressing national and international issues".

On Friday and Saturday, it will host the first meeting between President Barack Obama and his new Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping.

The 200-acre Sunnylands estate, in Rancho Mirage, was designed by the renowned architect Quincy Jones and includes 11 lakes, a tennis court, and a nine-hole golf course.



more at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-22812169

[Sunlei]

7. what a beautiful ranch and 200 acres, have to view that in googlemap.

wish we could have a lottery and the President has to take along a group of citizens on every visit with a world leader

[ucrdem]

9. technically it's just east of Palm Springs in a resort town called Rancho Mirage

. . . ot much there besides golf courses and hotels:



I bet they'll work this gazebo into the photo ops:



from a Time story here: http://newsfeed.time.com/2013/06/06/inside-sunnylands-the-luxe-california-estate-where-obama-will-host-chinese-president-xi-jinping/

[Sunlei]

10. beautiful, mountian views and a lot of water needed for all that grass.

Here look at the mountians, move the map a bit and see where all that water (and sand) washes down from

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=sunnylands+visitor+center+and+gardens+rancho+mirage+ca&bav=on.2,or.r_qf.&bvm=bv.47534661,d.aWM&biw=1088&bih=540&wrapid=tlif137062855425210&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=X&ei=1CGyUaCTOMemqQG354GQCA&ved=0CAgQ_AUoAg

[freshwest]

14. The gazebo is almost attractive (looks plastic) the rest of the place is MEH.

[JDPriestly]

12. The Annenbergs.

I wonder what is in this "philanthropic" gesture for them. Some of their "philanthropy" is marked by a self-serving or egotistical angle.

How did Annenberg earn his money?

Annenberg was greatly affected by tax evasion charges and other scandals that involved his father in the 1930s. A significant part of his adult life was dedicated to rehabilitating the family's name, through philanthropy and public service.
. . .

In 1942, after his father's death, Annenberg took over the family businesses, making successes out of some that had been failing. He bought additional print media as well as radio and television stations, resulting in great success. One of his most prominent successes was the creation of TV Guide in 1952, which he started against the advice of his financial advisers. He also created Seventeen magazine. During the 1970s TV Guide was making between $600,000 – $1,000,000 profit per week.

While Annenberg ran his publishing empire as a business, he was not afraid to use it for his own ends. One of his publications, The Philadelphia Inquirer, was influential in ridding Philadelphia of its largely corrupt city government in 1949. It attacked McCarthyism in the 1950s,[4] and campaigned for the Marshall Plan following World War II.[5]

In 1966, Annenberg used the pages of The Inquirer to cast doubt on the candidacy of Democrat Milton Shapp, for governor of Pennsylvania. Shapp was highly critical of the proposed merger of the Pennsylvania Railroad with the New York Central Railroad and was pushing the U.S. Interstate Commerce Commission to prevent it from occurring. Walter Annenberg, who was the biggest individual stockholder of the Pennsylvania Railroad,[6] wanted to see the merger go through and was frustrated with Shapp's opposition. During a press conference, an Inquirer reporter asked Shapp if he had ever been a patient in a mental hospital. Having never been in one, Shapp simply said "no". The next day, a five-column front page Inquirer headline read, “Shapp Denies Mental Institution Stay.” Shapp and others[7] have attributed his loss of the election to Annenberg's newspaper.[5]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_Annenberg

It's a mixed bag with the Annenbergs.

Just staying in a place like this ranch puts our presidents in a realm of luxury that most of us could not imagine. I think it is bad for the country because it distances our president from us and the reality of our lives.

This may seem petty, but when you see the president relaxing in a place like that and then suggesting cutting the COLAs on Social Security, it is pretty disappointing.

What kind of reality are our leaders living in? Same for Xi Jinping who is also from a country in which the people live much less luxurious lives than are represented by the Annenberg desert palace.

My post is not motivated by envy that Obama is there. I don't want to be there. I want him to be more aware of the lifestyles of ordinary Americans.

[ucrdem]

13. Well. . . yes and no.

It's a nice spread sure but I can think of places I'd rather be than the desert right now, like David Geffen's swanky beach house. The Annenberg foundation is all over public TV and while I wouldn't call it politically neutral at least it's not overtly RW. Apparently Sunnylands is managed by a trust, the Annenbergs having breathed their last, so it''s basically half a step from being owned outright by the state, like Hearst castle is:

The Annenberg Foundation Trust at Sunnylands, which operates The Annenberg Retreat at Sunnylands in Rancho Mirage, California, is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit operating entity. In addition to high-level retreats that address serious issues facing the nation and the world, Sunnylands offers programs through the Sunnylands Center & Gardens to educate the public about the history of Sunnylands, its architecture, art collections, cultural significance, and sustainable practices.

http://sunnylands.org/news/view/335

It seems when the Annenberg's were alive the place was popular with the Reagan crowd so my guess is BO is hoping any leftover Hollywood glamor helps with his charm offensive. I read that he never broke through with the previous Chinese president and wants to get this relationship off to a good start.

Interesting story about Shapp btw.

[JDPriestly]

15. I think you understand my point about recent presidents

separating themselves, drifting off into the ivory towers of the wealthy and famous and not facing the reality of ordinary Americans.

They would say they are too busy.

I must also say that Obama is far better than some other recent presidents in this respect. But still, he is too far removed from the lifestyles of the poor and humble and too close to those of the rich and famous. There should be a balance. He should spend as much time with the 99% as he spends with the 1%. Maybe that is too much to ask, but our presidents should aim for that ratio.

[ucrdem]

16. meanwhile, shooting at Santa Monica College

while Obama is at a Santa Monica fundraiser, holy cow. I wasn't going to mention it earlier but Sunnylands seems like a better security risk than a place closer to the beach like the Getty Museum.

Or your house.

http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/live-video/

[JDPriestly]

17. Definitely. But I wonder if the President knows

just how close I and all my neighbors are to routine gang shootings. We have to live with all that. I have no assurance that the President understands what we cope with.

So much money is spent to fight terrorism. I would rather that we spent it on the President's proposal for universal pre-school education. That would help our neighborhoods. All the terrorism stuff is important but the expenditures on it are way out of proportion. Our neighborhoods are more often endangered by people like the Sandy Hook shooter. Good pre-school education can help potentially violent children very early on.

I'm very sorry about the shootings at Santa Monica College. That school has a good reputation. This will frighten many people.

I trust the President is in no danger. The streets are no doubt cordoned off, and the area in which he is located is probably full of police officers.

[ucrdem]

6. EarlG's Pic of the Moment

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1017123691

LO the L!

[maxsolomon]

8. Here's how I would address NK.

Mr. Xi, WTF? How long are you going to prop NK up? Through a 4th generation of Kims?

What purpose is it serving at this point? To keep SK & Japan off balance?

Let's end this crap and let Korea be one.

[John2]

18. Oh, I can see

his reply right now. As soon as your forces leave the Korean Peninsula Mr President, Korea will become one. It might not be the way you like it though.

[ucrdem]

19. I don't see us pushing too hard on that one either.

At least not while Hundyais and Samsung Galaxies are selling so well.

[ucrdem]

20. NPR twists the knife:

President Obama walks with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Annenberg Retreat at Sunnylands as they meet for talks Friday in Rancho Mirage, California.

NSA Scandal Looms Over Obama-Xi Talks
by Ari Shapiro | NPR | June 08, 2013 5:25 AM

President Obama always intended to talk about spying this weekend. But not like this.

He's at a sprawling estate in the Southern California desert this weekend, getting to know China's new leader, but domestic controversies have followed him there.

The president veered off his talking points Friday to spend more than ten minutes defending a pair of massive surveillance operations that the media recently disclosed.

(snip)

Some members of Obama's own party are now attacking him for overreaching, and civil liberties groups are comparing him unfavorably to President George W. Bush. So Obama was feeling the heat before he took off for to Palm Springs.

Then he arrived in the desert, where the temperature hovered around 110 degrees.

"This is a wonderful place, a place of sunshine," said China's new president, Xi Jinping, through a translator.

(snip)

Xi and his entourage are not sleeping in the guest rooms, though. The Chinese delegation decided to stay at a hotel nearby out of fear that the U.S. might be spying on them — a decision they made before this week's disclosures about American surveillance.

http://www.npr.org/2013/06/08/189724905/nsa-scandal-looms-over-obama-xi-talks

[ucrdem]

21. Incidentally John Kerry is also attending but he seems to be hiding from the cameras

and press as not a single story I've read mentions him. But that's him sitting next to BO in this Euronews video:

Obama seems a shade off his game. Can't think why, with that unrelated mass shooting next door while he was speaking in Santa Monica and a perfect storm of cyber scandal blowing up at the worst possible moment. Coincidence I'm sure.