Xi at Filoli

      Welcome to California. So, with due diligence, State Department officials decided a good meeting place for two world leaders would be a classic estate well known to bay Area residents: Filoli. Known as much for its gardens as much as the house, it sits in a bucolic setting about 40 minutes south of the City, on the Peninsula. The Coastal hills of northern California have provided space for many citizens who would enjoy time away from the hustle of big city life.

       The Matson family was among those folks who enjoyed this home in the hills just east of the beaches along the San Mateo county coast. While the coast is cool and foggy, especially during the summer, this area brings sunshine and warmer temperatures throughout the year. yes, it does rain, but not too much and most of the time it's during the brief winter months.

      The home is not like William Randolph Hearst's Castle on the central California coast: it has taste and class. It was meant to be lived in, and not a place to entertain and exhibit riches beyond the dreams of mere mortals. So, it is one story generally, with views of the green hills that surround the property. The gardens were designed to be a source of pleasure year round. Laid out for walking, the garden is easily gained from many points of the house. Seasonal flowers  offer color changes with the 4 quarters of the year. The house was built after automobiles were introduced and drivers/chauffeurs were familiar with the roads. Now, Interstate 280 skirts the edge of the property and makes it easy to visit from around the Bay.

     Now Pres. Joe Biden and Chairman Xi Jin Ping sat to discuss important topics on trade, on business, on economics, and on military moves in East Asia. APEC-or Asia Pacific Economic Conference is being held in San Francisco. Due to the Israeli-HAMAS war currently underway in the Middle East, more than a few demonstrations are ongoing in SF. Local police have their hands full, especially when VIP's are on the move.

     Topics include the flow of Fentynal into the US; the South China Sea and China's provocations in international waters; climate change and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions(already discussed in the immediate past; and human rights(see Hong Kong politics-eg. Jimmy Lai missing).

    Pres. Biden will not have to hear Chairman Xi go on about the booming economy in China: it's not! He might have to endure excuses for China's new coal plant construction projects and the slow down in China's Belt and Road International grabbing of projects in the 3rd world(see Africa).

      An aside: many corporations got in on advertising by funding events and social gatherings. The largest donor: a small indigenous tribal nation in Northern California: the Graton Indian band of Rohnert Park. Hmmmm. ANd why is a small casino spending millions of profits from gaming?

     Let's see: political influence maybe? The tribe has been instrumental in putting Rohnert Park on the Map. While initially, the Rohnert Park pols were vocal opponents, they came around when the tribe started to flex economic strength. Being a federally recognized entity gave the tribe special status as a sovereign nation. No easy trick to accomplish today. But with the help of former Sen. Barbara Boxer, they established a site as a tribal nation. And the casino soon followed.

    And now it makes money for the nation to spend as it pleases. San Francisco is one of the local beneficiaries. Welcome APEC.