The National Post reports in its Monday, Jan. 19, edition that Donald Trump's tariff war tied up U.S. allies last year, while Chinese President Xi Jinping is now welcoming leaders seeking to improve relations with China. A Bloomberg dispatch to the Post reports that South Korea's Lee Jae Myung recently became the first South Korean president to visit China since 2019. Canada's Mark Carney followed by visiting last Wednesday. Next, U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer will travel to China, marking the first visit since 2018, while Germany's Chancellor Friedrich Merz is expected to visit next month. Asia Society Policy Institute fellow Neil Thomas says: "Trump is triggering diplomatic FOMO across the Western world. His approach leaves leaders eager to engage Xi so they aren't sidelined by U.S.-China manoeuvring." Foreign leaders have another reason to visit Beijing this year: rare earths. During his December trip, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul claimed progress in efforts to secure the metals, saying Beijing indicated it would be constructive in handling European orders. University College Dublin politics professor Alexander Dukalskis says many leaders are concluding "they need to be at least on decent terms with China."