US-China ties at 'hinge moment'

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.

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.

Xi -- who the White House sees as perhaps the most powerful Chinese leader since Deng Xiaoping or even Mao Zedong -- said he wanted to see cooperation continue.

Obama said he wanted to "take this opportunity to note our work together to build a more durable and productive set of bilateral ties."

Earlier, Obama made a strident case for democracy Saturday and urged world leaders to give his successor a chance.

Speaking to young Latin Americans in Lima, Peru, Obama argued that democracy and development go hand-in-hand, and that authoritarian governments ultimately fail.

He faces a barrage of questions about Trump, whose campaign promises threaten to upend decades-long US commitments to Nato and defense obligations in Asia.

Trump has also opposed a 12-nation Pacific trade deal and backed by key allies like Japan.

"It will be important for everybody around the world to not make immediate judgments but to give this president elect a chance."