Obama urges foreign leaders to give Trump a chance, downplaying policy shifts

President Obama continued his international farewell tour in Peru on Saturday, meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Peruvian President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski, and leaders of nine other nations. Obama sought to calm concerns about the incoming Donald Trump administration, encouraging Latin Americans not to assume the worst.

"Wait until the administration is in place, it's actually putting its policies together, and then you can make your judgments as to whether or not it's consistent with the international community's interest in living in peace and prosperity together," he said. "With respect to Latin America, I don't anticipate major changes in policy from the new administration," Obama added, noting that trade policy is an obvious exception.

Xi also expressed his hope for an amicable transition of power in America, calling this a "hinge moment" for Chinese-American relations. "I hope the two sides will work together," he said, "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."

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up