A decade after hosting a politically hobbled Barack Obama at a Group of 20 (G20) summit in Hangzhou, China is preparing to welcome another “lame-duck” US president for a multilateral gathering: Donald Trump.
Following the Republicans’ loss of both chambers of the US Congress in the midterm elections on Tuesday – a drubbing that reached deep into historically red states – Trump is expected to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping in two weeks on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) leaders’ meeting in Shenzhen. It will be their third face-to-face meeting this year.
Obama’s five-hour talks with Xi in 2016 did not prevent ties from later unravelling into a trade war after Trump took office – raising questions over whether Trump’s post-midterm vulnerability will limit his room for lasting diplomacy, even if he clinches quick deals in Shenzhen.