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Trump, Xi, Putin and the strongman race
The Chinese leader is ending the year in a better position than his American and Russian counterparts.
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(From left) US President Donald Trump, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
PHOTOS: BLOOMBERG, AFP
Gideon Rachman
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“I’ve never seen men so scared.” That was Mr Donald Trump’s amused verdict after observing Mr Xi Jinping’s intimidating effect on the Chinese leader’s entourage, at a recent meeting. “I want my cabinet to behave like that,” joked the US president.
Mr Trump’s return to the Oval Office has signalled a revival of the strongman style in global politics. Bilateral meetings between powerful, headstrong leaders increasingly shape the international agenda. Multilateral summits such as the UN General Assembly, the G-20 or the COP climate summit are dwindling in significance.
