RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. — Dispensing with diplomatic formalities, President Obama and Chinese leader Xi Jinping planned a casual “shirtsleeves” summit at a sprawling California estate yesterday, aiming for closer personal ties and progress on high-stakes issues including cybersecurity and North Korea’s nuclear threats.

Obama was to arrive late in the day at the 200-acre Sunnylands estate on the edge of the Mojave Desert. Xi arrived in California Thursday following a trip to Latin America, a region where China is seeking to expand its trade and influence.

The two leaders planned to hold a private meeting in the evening and then take questions from the media. They were also scheduled to hold a private working dinner and resume talks today.

Obama told donors at a Democratic fund-raiser Thursday that he understands the concerns many Americans have about the potential threat China’s rapid rise poses to the U.S.

“The transformation that’s taking place in China is extraordinary. And never in the history of humanity have we seen so many people move out of poverty so rapidly,” he said. “And yet, when you look at the challenges they face and you look at the challenges we face, I’ll take our challenges any day of the week.”

US officials see Xi, who took office in March, as a potentially new kind of Chinese leader. He has deeper ties to the United States than many of his predecessors.