title: Bond between Trump, Xi in meetings played role in China abstention: U.S. official
text: WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A senior Trump administration official said on Wednesday that the positive bond developed between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping last week in Florida helped lead to China’s abstention from a U.N. Security Council vote on Syria. The official, who briefed reporters on condition of anonymity, would not say whether Trump personally asked Xi that China not veto the resolution. The official said Xi’s decision not to veto the resolution spoke to China’s determination not to obstruct the U.N.’s ability to sanction Syria for a chemical weapons attack last week. 