Xi-Trump summit: China believes it called the shots

CHINESE leader Xi Jinping's two-day summit meeting with Donald Trump, overshadowed by the US attack on Syria, gave each president the chance to take the measure of the other and, apparently, each liked what he saw.

From the Chinese perspective, things went very well indeed, with China taking the initiative and the Americans going along.

It wasn't supposed to be like that. Mr Trump had plans to pressure his counterpart to reduce the US trade deficit; he also expected Mr Xi to "step up" and help rein in North Korea. Neither happened.