ON FRIDAY, US President Donald Trump dismissed reports that he is considering replacing Rex Tillerson as the secretary of state. Beijing Youth Daily commented on Saturday:

The speculation surrounding Tillerson's future as secretary of state and his disagreement with Trump are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the US president's struggles to keep everything together 10 months into his presidency. That could hurt the country's image as a reliable world power and undermine its interests overseas.

Tillerson, the former ExxonMobil chief executive, was chosen to lead the state department for his expertise in "energy diplomacy". He has tried to keep his head down when he disagreed with Trump but he has still been openly confronted by the US president.