I'm Chris Chappell.

Back to the G20.

As we draw the curtains on the meeting

between the world's 20 largest economies,

and the streets are swept clean

from the several days of riots,

these 20 Gs head home.

That picture just proves that Angela Merkel

is still the OG.

But after it's all over,

we're left with the question—

what the heck just happened?!

The G20 had some big challenges:

Meaningful reforms on climate change,

a coordinated response to the Syrian crisis,

comprehensive solutions for refugees,

immigration, and terrorism.

But, when 20 world leaders with individual agendas

all got in the same room, they...

let's just say they made incremental progress at best.

Outside the meetings, there were protests.

Some of them got a little crazy.

And most threatening of all...

Clowns.

But worse than the protests were the media,

which treated us to non-stop G20

body language analysis.

Because who wouldn't want to spend days

carefully scrutinizing these bodies

of old politicians in suits?

What's that, Shelley?

There's G20 fanfiction?!

Wait, no, don't tell me.

Back to non-traumatizing physical contact

between world leaders,

there's the all-important handshake.

Clearly, Trump won the handshake with Putin.

I mean, clearly,

Putin won the handshake with Trump.

Wait, that's a still unclear.

But remember in January

when the world first learned of

the “Trump handshake?

That awkward handshake

where he pulls the guy towards him?

Well, let's just say China

has been learning from the West.

Speaking of China,

China.

China won big at the G20.

There was no conflict over the South China Sea,

and no criticism of China's human rights abuses.

I think this clip illustrates the level of tension.

“The wish was expressed that this time

I would bring with me two panda bears.

I gave a positive answer.”

So Xi Jinping brought pandas to Germany

that China will loan to the Berlin zoo

for a million dollars a year

for the next fifteen years,

and then China will demand the pandas

and all their offspring back.

Pandas, yayyy!

But anyway,

on to less black-and-white issues.

As I mentioned earlier,

during the G20,

the US and China did meet.

And it looked like everyone had so much fun.

They discussed two main issues.

One:

Trump wants to China to stop its unfair trade practices

with the US.

We know that because Twitter.

And two:

Trump wants China to stop trading at all

with its nuclear-armed neighbor.

Oh sorry,

I meant the one with the dangerous leader.

The fat one.

Yeah.

Again, because Twitter.

But despite Trump's increasing frustration

that Chinese leaders haven't done more

to help with North Korea,

Trump remained cordial at the meeting,

telling Xi that he appreciated what he had done

“relative the very substantial problem

that we all face in North Korea.”

So against all odds,

could their friendship live on?

I mean, in April they bonded over dessert.

“And we had the most beautiful piece

of chocolate cake you've ever seen.”

Most beautiful piece of cake?

I'd beg to differ.

But anyway,

what if the US-China cake-based friendship

starts to crumble?

Well, that's why Trump may be

trying to improve ties with Russia.

Uh, no, I'm not talking about Trump Jr.

I mean President Trump is trying to improve

bilateral ties with President Putin.

This marks a departure from previous US policy.

Wait, “We can do stuff to you”?

Was Obama...flirting?

What's that Shelley?

No, I haven't been reading more fanfiction.

Who would write fanfiction about politicians anyway?

Wait, no, don't tell me.

What does this have to do with China, you ask?

Well, over the past several years,

Russia and China have supported each other—

economically and politically.

Both hold permanent member seats

on the UN Security council.

They've used that platform to block

democratic nations from certain objectives.

For example,

putting sanctions on Syria.

And most recently,

efforts to target human traffickers.

If Trump is indeed planning

to put more pressure on China—

then a friendly, or at least neutral, Russia

could be to America's advantage.

When President Richard Nixon visited China

in 1972 to establish ties,

his goal was to give the US leverage over Russia—

then part of the Soviet Union.

It worked.

It would be somewhat ironic if President Donald Trump's

warming relationship with Russia

is now aimed at giving the US leverage over China.

You know it could be working

when Chinese state-run media say,

“Fine.

I don't care.”

Of course, that doesn't guarantee that Russia

wouldn't try to be buddy-buddy

with both China and the US.

After all,

the Chinese regime is doing its best

to promote a positive image of Putin

on social media.

But take it from me,

it never works when you try

to have two best friends.

To be clear,

I'm not saying that the US

should definitely cozy up to Russia.

For one,

Russia is an authoritarian state

that has done a lot questionable things.

Not that that's stopped the US

from working with other authoritarian countries.

And two,

the Trump Administration's growing Russia problems

might make it difficult for them

to have a strong relationship.

But the Trump administration may still try.

Because you know what they say,

the frenemy of my frenemy

is my...fren-en-enemy?

So we'll be keeping an eye

on how the world's superpowers are shifting

the balance after the G20.

At least in the fanfiction.

Speaking of frenenenemies,

China and Vietnam.

We'll have more after the break.

Wait for it...

It happened! Oh my gosh, it actually happened!

Even they look surprised!

As for Canada's Justin Trudeau, well...

sometimes it's best not to read too much into body language.

There's probably fanfiction about this, isn't there?

Anyway, if you want to see the full half-hour episode right now, go to ChinaUncensored.tv!