beset

Domestically, China has been beset by sluggish spending, a protracted property sector crisis and a demographic crunch as its population starts to decline.

Games in years past, with billions of dollars in revenue at stake, have at times been beset by corruption and scandal.

This month's meeting comes at an uncertain time for the Chinese economy, beset by sluggish domestic spending, a protracted crisis in the property sector and a turbulent trade war with the United States.

But it is an alarming situation for a U.S. oil industry already beset by narrowing profit margins and shedding jobs by the thousands.

The industry has been beset by headwinds ranging from changing consumer preferences and rising input costs, worsened by tariffs, to more-stringent regulations favored by the Make America Healthy Again movement.