Chinese President Xi Jinping will not attend US President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration on January 20, instead sending a high-level envoy to represent China. This decision comes after Trump extended an invitation to Xi last month, which experts deemed unprecedented and a form of “political theater.”
According to sources, the envoy will likely be Vice President Han Zheng or Foreign Minister Wang Yi, although some Trump advisers have expressed interest in meeting with Cai Qi, a member of the Politburo Standing Committee and Xi’s right-hand man.
Trump has stated that he and Xi have been communicating through representatives and are expected to get along in his second term. However, Trump’s incoming administration has taken a hardline stance on China, with the appointment of Senator Marco Rubio as secretary of state and threats to impose additional tariffs on Chinese goods unless Beijing addresses the issue of fentanyl trafficking.
In response, China’s foreign ministry has expressed willingness to promote “stable, healthy and sustainable development of Sino-U.S. economic and trade.” The envoy’s attendance at the inauguration and subsequent talks with Trump’s team will be closely watched as a sign of the future direction of US-China relations.
