President is a man of the world

Xi Jinping's successful overseas trip has bolstered China's foreign affairs credentials

President Xi Jinping's third diplomatic trip abroad since assuming power in March has shored up his growing reputation as a statesman on the world stage, putting paid to speculation he would favor a stay-at-home leadership style.

Xi, who has surprised predictions from China watchers who believed he would focus exclusively on domestic challenges in the first few months of his tenure, embarked on a tour of several Central Asian countries after attending the G20 Summit in Russia this month.