Informal chat offers chance to build trust

Private conversation between the leaders allows them to 'put aside talking points'

Wearing a black suit, white shirt and no tie, President Xi Jinping took a casual walk side by side with US counterpart Barack Obama along the West Wing of the White House on Thursday night before crossing Pennsylvania Avenue for a three-hour private dinner at Blair House, the state guesthouse.

This was the third time the two chatted like old friends without the top-level diplomatic rituals that put distance between them, though hard topics like the economy and cybersecurity lay ahead.