US President-elect Donald Trump has reportedly invited his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping to attend his inauguration next month, despite his promise to slap high tariffs on China after taking office. Donald Trump will take oath as the 47th President of the United States on January 20, 2025.
The incoming US president invited Mr Xi in early November, shortly after the election, CBS News reported quoting multiple sources. However, it is still not clear if the Chinese President will attend the ceremony.
Mr Trump's invitation to the Chinese President is an unprecedented step, as the US does not have a tradition of inviting foreign leaders to Presidents' inaugural ceremonies. Official records dating back to 1874 show that no foreign leader attended a transfer-of-power ceremony in the US till now. which is typically attended by ambassadors and other diplomats.
Meanwhile, the president-elect's team has raised the possibility of hosting other world leaders at the swearing-in ceremony at the Capitol next month, for which inauguration officials are making plans.
"World leaders are lining up to meet with President Trump because they know he will soon return to power and restore peace through American strength around the globe," CBS quoted Trump transition spokesperson Karoline Leavitt as saying.
As per the report, Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban is also "considering" whether to attend the ceremony. The far-right leader enjoys a warm relationship with Mr Trump and visited him at Mar-a-Lago this week.
US-China Relations
The US remain a sharp critic of the Chinese government. After winning the presidential election, Mr Trump himself threatened to impose 100 per cent tariffs on BRICS countries, including China, if they were to create a rival currency to the US dollar.
His incoming administration has also imposed a deadline of January 19, the eve of the inauguration, for TikTok's Chinese parent company ByteDance to sell the social media app or face a ban in America.
But such a move is not unexpected from Mr Trump, who has long believed that close leader-to-leader relationships are key to international deal-making. The US President-elect recently said in an interview that he spoke to Mr Xi and "got along very well" with the Chinese President.
