China’s President will take a tour of Central American and the Caribbean starting late next week, and wrapping up with a meeting with President Obama in California.

Xi Jinping is accepting invitations from the leaders of Trinidad and Tobago, Costa Rica, and Mexico.  China wants to improve relations and trade with those countries.

On 7-8 June, Xi will arrive in the upscale desert oasis of Rancho Mirage for his first summit with Mr. Obama.  Topics on the agenda are likely to include North Korea, cyber espionage, tensions in the South and East China Seas, and Syria. 

“It is believed that this meeting is important to the long-term, sound and steady development of China-US relations, as well as regional and international peace, stability and prosperity,” according to China’s foreign ministry.

US National Security Advisor Thomas Donilon is to visit China in late May to prepare for the meeting.