Filoli in Woodside: the meeting between Biden and Xi at a sprawling private estate

The meeting between U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese leader Xi Jinping, held at a historic estate and museum with luxurious gardens in San Mateo County, California, aimed to improve relations between the two superpowers. The leaders met on Wednesday at the Filoli estate, located away from the shores of Northern California. The building was constructed in 1917 as a private residence and later became a National Trust for Historic Preservation site. The estate in Woodside is about 40 kilometers south of San Francisco, where the leaders gathered for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation leaders' summit this week.

Meeting place

The meeting place was revealed by three high-ranking officials from the administration who preferred to remain anonymous for security reasons. Bonnie Glaser, the managing director of the Indo-Pacific Regional Center at the German Marshall Fund, said that this location likely aligns with Xi Jinping's expectations for a private meeting with Biden outside the main summit venue. "It seems to be a quiet estate where Biden and Xi Jinping can have an intimate conversation in a relaxed setting," Glaser said. "It's important that the location is not associated with the APEC meeting, so it appears as though the two leaders are holding a bilateral summit, distinct from the multilateral APEC summit."

Equality and respect

Observers of China's elite politics say that Xi Jinping wants to present himself to his domestic audience as an equal to Biden and as a respected president of the United States. The estate covers an area of more than 2.6 square kilometers, including a Georgian Revival-style house and a formal garden in the English Renaissance style.

"Places like this allow for the avoidance of not only the presence of the media but also many other factors that contribute to conflict," said Jeremy Suri, a professor of public affairs and history at the University of Texas at Austin. "If they like each other, they are more likely to start trusting each other and communicating better." Suri notes that this is what happened between U.S. President Ronald Reagan and the last leader of the USSR, Mikhail Gorbachev, before its collapse. They met in a secluded castle in Reykjavik in 1986, sitting by the fireplace and walking outside in warm coats, which played a key role in shaping their relationship. "We need leaders who can overcome fear," Suri said.

Filoli and Bowers Born II

The estate was named Filoli by San Francisco social activist William Bowers Bourn II, taking the first two letters of key words from his personal credo, as stated on the estate's website: "Fight for a just cause. Love your neighbor. Live a good life." The mansion is available for private events, weddings, and commercial filming. The gardens were also featured in Jennifer Lopez's film "The Wedding Planner."