Clean technology a top priority as Chinese President Xi Jinping arrives in Seattle

Discussing how U.S. and Chinese experts and businesses can collaborate on nuclear energy, smarter electricity use and other clean technologies is a top agenda item as Chinese President Xi Jinping arrives in Seattle, almost a year after he and President Barack Obama announced their nations would cooperate to fight climate change.

The three-day visit begins Tuesday with talks between a handful of U.S. governors and six of their Chinese counterparts over issues that include improving energy efficiency in buildings, modernizing electrical grids and commercializing renewable energy, and the governors are expected to meet privately with Xi later in the day.

An energy company founded by Bill Gates will be entering an agreement with China National Nuclear Corp. to plan to work together on next-generation nuclear power plant technology.

The governors meeting with Xi include Washington's Jay Inslee, California's Jerry Brown, Michigan's Rick Snyder, Iowa's Terry Branstad and Oregon's Kate Brown.