Xi Jinping arrives in US as his Chinese Dream splutters
When Xi Jinping stepped off his plane in San Francisco for the Apec summit, it was in circumstances very different to the last time he landed on American soil.
Five years ago, when he was wined and dined by Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago, Mr Xi was in charge of a China still on the ascendancy.
It had a buoyant economy outperforming forecasts. Its unemployment rate was among the lowest in years. While consolidating his power for a second term, Mr Xi proudly pointed to China's "flourishing" growth model as something other countries could emulate.
By then, cracks were already appearing in what he calls his "Chinese Dream". They have only widened since then.ADVERTISEMENT
One view is that because of this, Mr Xi is in a more vulnerable negotiating position this time, though expectations ...
