By Andrew BEATTY
Presidents Barack Obama and Xi Jinping met for the final time Saturday, 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, 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.
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