Surely, 2018 saw a number of countries misruled by the worst crop of world leaders in recent memory. Mr Trump is having trouble filling once-coveted positions, and the officials he fired and those who have resigned are sometimes unconstrained in criticising him. All this doesn't even scratch the surface of what Mr Trump has done. The conservative rebels paralysed the government demanding tougher immigration policies and forcing Ms Merkel into exhausting backroom battles that left her drained, sometimes even apathetic. Mr Xi's battle against Mr Trump may win him sympathy in Europe, but Europeans aren't natural allies for China.

Source: Bangkok Post December 28, 2018 00:22 UTC