The Chinese-origin Americans will be keenly following President Xi Jinping's meeting with Barack Obama in California scheduled on June 7 and 8.

California has the largest number of Chinese Americans and they are known to maintain close ties with the homeland.

 The two countries have recently been embroiled in a war of words over cyber security issues, and are seeking a fresh start to a complex relationship.

"It's always better to have friends, and working together, you can accomplish a lot more between two countries that will be beneficial for both," said Jeff Zhang, a Chinese living in the U.S., according to the Voice of America.

"I think it may be the first time that an American president and a Chinese president have really been together in a location over a period of time where they can get to know each other and build a personal relationship," said Geoffrey Cowan of the Annenberg Foundation Trust  and a former director of the Voice of America (VoA).

The Chinese president was welcomed by Chinese Americans with banners and Chinese flags. According to sources, the premier can expect  some voices of dissent from Chinese human rights activists and Tibetans.

Last year, a large number of protesters drew attention to China's role in Tibet and other human rights issues in mainland China during Xi Jinping's visit to California.
 
"They're doing a good job of modernizing the country, but when it comes to social issues, their record is still pretty low," Stefan Ogbac, a mixed Filipino-Chinese man told VoA, adding that he is much concerned about workers' rights in China.

The two leaders are likely to discuss a wide-range of topics including cyber security issues, nuclear tests and human rights.