US President Barack Obama was optimistic about talks with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping as a second day of meetings at a California estate got underway Saturday, news agencies reported. Obama told reporters while out for a morning walk with Xi on the lushly landscaped grounds of the Sunnylands estate that the meetings had so far been "terrific." As the talks got underway Friday evening, Obama called for a "new model of cooperation" between the United States and China. He acknowledged points of contention, including cyberattacks and trade issues, but stressed there were many areas where Washington and Beijing could cooperate. Xi called the talks "a new historical starting point," noting that meeting soon after he took office in March signified the importance of bilateral ties. As they try to forge a new type of "great power" relationship, stumbling blocks such as US accusations of cyberattacks on military infrastructure and piracy of goods could revive mistrust. After talks that lasted several hours, Obama told reporters they had spoken broadly about cybersecurity, but had not yet had "in-depth discussions." "What both President Xi and I recognize is that because of these incredible advances in technology, that the issue of cybersecurity and the need for rules and common approaches to cybersecurity are going to be increasingly important as part of bilateral relationships and multilateral relationships," he said. Obama called the issues "uncharted waters" without protocols for how to address them. Cyberattacks are a growing concern to the US public after a recent government report alleged attacks from China on military and business infrastructure. Last week, Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel called the attacks a serious military concern that needs to be addressed urgently. Xi described China as "firm in upholding cybersecurity," and said Beijing had "major concerns" about the issue.
