Xi Jinping unlikely to attend Trump inauguration regardless of invitation

Chinese language President Xi Jinping is unlikely to attend the US presidential inauguration in January regardless of an invite from Donald Trump, in keeping with two sources aware of the matter.

China’s ambassador to the US is anticipated to attend and different Beijing officers may additionally be part of him, the sources advised CBS Information, the BBC’s US accomplice.

CBS first reported the bizarre invitation — information point out no overseas chief has ever attended a presidential inauguration.

“That is an instance of how President Trump is creating an open dialogue with leaders of nations that aren’t solely allies but additionally our adversaries and rivals,” Trump spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt stated. on Fox Information.

Trump has at instances praised Xi, however he has additionally been extremely crucial of China. He has pledged to sharply elevate tariffs on imported Chinese language items when he takes workplace subsequent month.

In October, Trump advised podcaster Joe Rogan: “He controls 1.4 billion individuals with an iron fist. I imply, he is an excellent man, whether or not you prefer it or not. »

Quite a lot of Trump’s Cupboard members, together with secretary of state nominee Marco Rubio and nationwide safety adviser Mike Waltz, are outspoken critics of the Chinese language authorities.

The Chinese language authorities imposed sanctions on Rubio and in 2020 banned him from coming into the nation.

Waltz urged the US to urgently finish conflicts in Ukraine and the Center East to “counter the best risk from the Chinese language Communist Social gathering.”

US intelligence businesses not too long ago stated China was behind the hacking of eight main US telecommunications firms. Hackers might have accessed the info of hundreds of thousands of Individuals, the White Home says.

Since his re-election final month, Trump has met with plenty of overseas leaders, together with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Argentine President Javier Milei and French President Emmanuel Macron, who invited Trump to Paris for the reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral. -Girl.

Though it is not uncommon for diplomats and ambassadors to attend a president’s swearing-in, in keeping with U.S. State Division information courting again to 1874, a overseas chief has by no means attended a president’s inauguration American.

Leavitt stated different overseas leaders had additionally been invited to the inauguration, which is able to happen in Washington DC on January 20, however didn’t specify which of them.

The BBC has contacted Chinese language officers and Trump’s presidential transition workforce for remark.