Xi hosts wave of world leaders as middle powers drift from US

Xi Jinping has received more than a dozen heads of state in Beijing this year, with countries ranging from Bangladesh to Myanmar's military junta making the pilgrimage as US unpredictability pushes 'middle powers' to hedge their bets. China is using the moment to deepen economic ties and build a coalition around an alternative to the Western-led order. Xi met Bangladesh's new prime minister Tarique Rahman on Friday, the latest in the streak.