Presidents Barack Obama and Xi Jinping have met for the
final time, with the Chinese leader warning the period after Donald Trump’s
election is a “hinge moment” in relations between the two powers.

Without referring to Trump directly, Xi spoke of his hope
for a “smooth transition” in a relationship that Obama described as
“the most consequential in the world.”

The two men were meeting in Lima on Saturday, Peru on the
margins of an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit.

During a vitriol-filled election campaign Trump frequently
took a combative stance against China, blaming Beijing for
“inventing” climate change and rigging the rules of trade.

The White House, surprised by Trump’s lack of details on the
issues, has urged world leaders to give Trump time to get his feet under the
desk.

For much of Obama’s presidency, China and the United States
have slowly improved cooperation and tried to limit the fallout from disputes,
all while vying for influence in the Asia-Pacific.

China has been quick to seize on the failure of a US-backed
Pacific trade deal to push its own version of the pact – excluding Washington
at the APEC meeting.

Xi – who the White House sees as perhaps the most powerful
Chinese leader since Deng Xiaoping or even Mao Zedong – said he wanted to see
cooperation continue.

“I hope the two sides will work together to focus on
cooperation, manage our differences, and make sure there is a smooth transition
in the relationship and that it will continue to grow going forward.”

The two men have met nine times since Obama took office in
early 2009.

Obama said he wanted to “take this opportunity to note
our work together to build a more durable and productive set of bilateral
ties.”

“I continue to believe that a constructive US-China relationship
benefits our two peoples and benefits the entire globe,” he said at the
start of the meeting.

“We’ve demonstrated what’s possible when our two
countries work together,” he said, citing an agreement to tackle climate
change.

Obama also acknowledged that his eight years guiding US-
China relations have seen difficulties.

That period has seen tensions in particular over China’s
seizure of territory it claims in the South China Sea, as well as over the
treatment of US firms in China.