Mr Trump’s breezy style has long disconcerted China’s leaders. In the spring of 2017 he called Mr Xi so often to ask for help with North Korea that Chinese envoys eventually delivered a discreet message to American contacts. Mr Xi is “not our North Korean desk officer”, they pleaded: let underlings handle most of this.

China’s President Xi Jinping told the world on Friday that Donald Trump is a “bully” and that America has no business being as powerful as it is. That came right after Trump’s White House slapped “reciprocal tariffs” on Chinese exports headed to the U.

Cambodia is a key political ally and trading partner for China in Asia. Xi is expected to meet Cambodian Prime Minster Hun Manet as the two countries celebrate 67 years of diplomatic ties.