China announced Wednesday that its leader will visit the U.S. in September for the first time as president, signaling an improvement in often strained relations between two of the world's largest powers.
President Xi Jinping accepted President Barack Obama's invitation during a telephone call late Tuesday night, telling the state-run Xinhua news agency that the two countries should "broaden cooperation in economy and trade, military, energy, environmental protection, infrastructure and law enforcement," The Guardian reported.
During his visit, Xi will call on Washington to "loosen restrictions on export of high-tech products to China and take actions to facilitate Chinese investments in the United States."
On the late night call, the two presidents also discussed various economic and security concerns, and Obama asked for "swift work" to amend their differences on cybersecurity issues, according to The Hill.
The U.S. has expressed concerns in the past over allegations of Chinese cyber-espionage, and even brought hacking charges against the Chinese military last year.
The two also talked about China's assistance to West African nations fighting against the Ebola virus, a possible U.S.-China investment treaty, Iran's nuclear program, North Korea, and climate change, according to the Associated Press.
Analysts suggest that the long-winded agenda likely means that both sides are still prioritizing their plans.
"Since Obama and Xi came to power, there was this arrangement that they would be meeting on an annual basis," Steve Tsang, an expert on Chinese politics at the University of Nottingham, told The Guardian.
"A lot of things will happen between now and [September]," Tsang continued. "Right now it's more important that the Chinese announce the visit as a way of signaling that they're developing a relationship with Obama - and that they are, in a sense, driving it. They haven't yet set a destination as to where it goes. But at the end of the day, they can't really set the destination without agreement from the Americans. I see this all as more symbolic than substantive."
