A year ago, as the world was coming to terms with the idea of Donald Trump as president of the United States, Xi Jinping took to the stage at the World Economic Forum, in Davos. The US president is equally likely to use his closing speech, on Friday, to criticise the champions of global trade. Just this week the president warned his Chinese counterpart, in a telephone conversation, that the United States’ trade deficit with China is unsustainable. Davos may have its critics, but the annual summit shows no sign of slowing down as it approaches its 50th birthday. With President Trump set to bring his unique stamp this year, the 2018 World Economic Forum may be one to remember.

Source: The Irish Times January 22, 2018 05:37 UTC