US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping during a meeting on the sidelines of the G-20 summit in Osaka, western Japan on June 29, 2019. [AP]
In a calculated display of economic statecraft, Kenya played the United States and China against each other last week, announcing it had secured pivotal trade concessions from both rival superpowers within a critical 48-hour window to protect its core exports and unlock new markets.