Chinese President Xi Jinping is unlikely to attend the U.S. presidential inauguration in January, despite an invitation from President Donald Trump, two people familiar with the plans said.
Sources told the BBC’s U.S. partner CBS News that China’s ambassador to the United States is expected to attend and may be joined by other Chinese government officials.
CBS first reported on the unusual invitation. Records show that no foreign leader has ever attended a presidential inauguration.
“This is an example of President Trump creating an open dialogue with the leaders of countries that are not only allies, but also adversaries and competitors,” President Trump’s press secretary, Caroline Leavitt, told Fox News. .
President Trump sometimes praises Mr. Xi, but he also strongly criticizes China. He has promised to significantly increase tariffs on Chinese imports when he takes office next month.
In October, President Trump told podcaster Joe Rogan, “He rules 1.4 billion people with an iron fist. So whether you like it or not, he’s a great guy.”
Many of Trump’s Cabinet nominees, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and National Security Adviser Mike Walz, have been sharp critics of Beijing.
The Chinese government imposed sanctions on Rubio and banned him from entering the country in 2020.
Walz called on the United States to urgently end the conflict in Ukraine and the Middle East to “counter the greater threat posed by the Chinese Communist Party.”
US intelligence agencies recently announced that China was behind the hacking incidents against eight major US telecommunications companies. The White House says the hackers may have accessed data on millions of Americans.
Since his re-election last month, President Trump has invited many foreign leaders, including Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Argentine President Javier Millei, and French President Emmanuel Macron, who invited Trump to Paris to reopen Notre Dame Cathedral. I have met with people.
Although it is common for diplomats and ambassadors to attend presidential swearing-in ceremonies, no foreign leader has ever attended the inauguration of a U.S. president, according to U.S. State Department records dating back to 1874.
Levitt said other foreign leaders were also invited to the inauguration ceremony, which will be held in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 20, but he did not specify which ones.
The BBC has contacted Chinese officials and President Trump’s transition team for comment.
