Trump sends invitation to Xi to his inauguration

(MENAFN) US President-elect Donald Trump has extended an invitation to Chinese President Xi Jinping to attend his inauguration on January 20, according to CBS News. The invitation was reportedly made in early November, shortly after Trump’s election victory, although it remains unclear whether Xi has accepted. In a recent interview, Trump expressed that he "got along very well" with Xi and that they had communicated the previous week.

Trump’s team is considering inviting other world leaders to the inauguration as well, though historically, no foreign leader has attended a US transfer-of-power ceremony since records began in 1874. Despite the gesture towards China, the Trump administration includes several critics of Beijing, such as Senator Marco Rubio, who is rumored to be nominated as secretary of state. Trump has previously vowed to impose additional tariffs on China unless the country takes action to curb the trafficking of fentanyl, which is a major contributor to the opioid crisis in the US.

In response to escalating trade tensions, Xi Jinping recently warned that no side would benefit from a trade war. China's ambassador to the US, Xie Feng, read a message from Xi at a US-China Business Council gala, emphasizing the importance of dialogue and mutual cooperation over confrontation and trade wars. However, US Ambassador to Beijing, Nicholas Burns, pointed out that Beijing sometimes tries to downplay the competitive nature of US-China relations.

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