For Donald Trump, his swing through the Middle East this week captured exactly how he expects to be treated on the world stage: with the highest pomp, investment pledges worth hundreds of billions of dollars, and effusive praise.
But while the Gulf’s top leaders were happy to oblige, not every country has been taking the same approach. For weeks, China had been resisting any praise or even engagement with the US president despite the punitive tariffs from both governments that raised fears of a deep economic slump.
The lack of adulation did not matter: Trump backed down anyway. On Monday, on the shores of Lake Geneva, US and Chinese officials agreed to a sharp de-escalation in mutual import duties.