Xi Jinping Reportedly Unlikely to Attend Trump's Inauguration

Photo: U.S. Capitol. (Li Sha/Dajiyuna)

[People News] President-elect Donald Trump’s team confirmed on December 12 that foreign leaders had been invited to his inauguration on January 20, including an invitation extended to Chinese Communist Party leader Xi Jinping in early November.

Following the announcement, foreign media reported that the invitation surprised Beijing and U.S. allies, leaving Chinese officials puzzled about Trump’s intentions. According to tradition, foreign ambassadors and diplomats stationed in Washington are invited to witness the U.S. presidential power transfer, held every four years, but no foreign heads of state or government leaders typically attend. Records from the U.S. State Department dating back to 1874 indicate that no foreign leader has ever attended a U.S. presidential inauguration.

The invitation comes at a time when U.S.-China relations are particularly tense. U.S. intelligence recently disclosed a far-reaching cyberattack targeting eight American telecom companies, attributing the breach to Chinese hackers who reportedly accessed metadata potentially involving millions of Americans, including Vice President-elect J.D. Vance and other officials.

Additionally, Trump has warned of imposing large-scale tariffs on Chinese exports to the U.S., partly to pressure Beijing to curb the flow of deadly fentanyl into America and to boost the sales of U.S. products in China.

Given the differing views among Trump’s team members on China policy, several Western diplomats have expressed astonishment at the decision to invite Xi Jinping to the inauguration. These officials suggest that this could become a source of internal conflict within the Trump administration and further strain geopolitical relations.

It remains unclear which foreign leaders have been invited, but Russian President Vladimir Putin has confirmed he was not among them. Whether any of these leaders will attend the ceremony, held on the steps of the U.S. Capitol, remains uncertain. When asked on Thursday morning if Xi Jinping had responded to the invitation, incoming White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said she was unaware and that the matter was "to be determined."

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning responded to media inquiries during a routine press conference on December 12, stating only that "there is no information to release at the moment," without elaborating further. Shortly after, this statement disappeared from the ministry’s website.

According to CBS, which first reported that Trump had invited Xi Jinping to his inauguration, two sources familiar with the arrangements indicated that Xi is not expected to attend. However, additional officials from Beijing might join the delegation led by the Chinese ambassador. CBS also reported that inauguration officials had assigned a specific team to handle diplomatic protocol for the ceremony. The Chinese Embassy in Washington declined to comment, and the Trump transition team did not respond to requests for comment.

Shortly after Trump's election victory, foreign media reported that Beijing had shown a cooperative attitude regarding tariffs, actively seeking dialogue with Trump and his transition team.

Yesterday, at the annual meeting of the Institute for China-America Studies (ICAS) in Washington, the focus was on how to manage U.S.-China relations during Trump’s second term. Qiu Wenxing, Minister Counselor at the Chinese Embassy in the U.S., highlighted in his speech and Q&A session the need for "fact-based" dialogue, underscoring the depth of the current U.S.-China divide. He admitted that the two nations struggle to reach consensus even on basic factual issues.

Trump recently revealed in a media interview that he had communicated with Xi Jinping last week. He stated, "I reached an agreement with Xi (on the fentanyl issue)."

Although the Trump team and Beijing have resumed the highest-level contact, and Trump’s invitation breaks with past precedent, experts suggest this does not indicate Trump showing weakness or making concessions to China. Instead, it aligns with his consistent political style of one-on-one summits, aimed at creating the political momentum to break the status quo.

Trump has already nominated several China hawks to join his new cabinet, including Senator Marco Rubio, nominated for Secretary of State, and Representative Mike Waltz, nominated for National Security Advisor. This lineup has been described by observers as a gathering of hawks.