According to a new report, President-elect Donald Trump has taken the first step in opening dialogue with China, having invited President Xi Jinping to attend his inauguration next month.
According to reports from CBS News and an interview on “Fox & Friends,” Trump invited Xi in early November, shortly after he secured his second term in the 2024 election. Despite the first step being taken, it has not been made clear if Xi has accepted the invitation.
The Chinese embassy in Washington has also not yet commented on the reports.
Trump’s transition spokesperson, Karoline Leavitt, shared during an interview on Fox that Trump invited the Chinese president as an example of Trump “creating an open dialogue with leaders of countries that are not just our allies but our adversaries and our competitors too.”
The reports highlighted that Xi wasn’t the only foreign leader to be invited, as inauguration officials are making plans for several to attend, including Hungary’s far-right leader, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, though he is “still considering,” CBS News reported.
Orbán reportedly visited Mar-a-Lago this week and met with Trump and billionaire tech CEO Elon Musk, Reuters reported.
“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,” Leavitt said.
While ambassadors and other diplomats are often invited to inaugurations, State Department records show that since 1874, not one foreign leader has ever attended a transfer of power.
The move to invite Xi comes as Trump has been extremely critical of China and its government.
The president-elect has threatened to increase tariffs on all goods imported from China.
Byte Dance, a Chinese company, is facing a looming ban on its social media app TikTok in the US unless it sells by Jan. 19.
Members of Trump’s team have also continued to be critical of China, including Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL), who Trump has nominated to serve as secretary of state, and Mike Waltz, Trump’s national security adviser.