U.S. President-elect Donald Trump invited Chinese President Xi Jinping to his inauguration in January despite his hawkish rhetoric and tariff threats.
Trump’s incoming press secretary, Carolyn Leavitt, confirmed reports of the invitation Thursday on conservative television channel Fox News. She viewed the invitation as an effort to strengthen ties between the two countries, which have long been seen as rivals.
“This is an example of President Trump having an open dialogue with leaders of countries that are not only our allies but also our adversaries and competitors,” Levitt told “Fox & Friends.”
Experts said it was unprecedented for a Chinese leader to attend a U.S. presidential inauguration, given decades of frosty relations between the two countries.
“This is just diplomatic drama, nothing more. No other heads of state, let alone Xi Jinping, attended the inauguration of the U.S. president,” Scott Kennedy, a China expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, told Reuters.
Experts say Xi is unlikely to accept the invitation. When asked about Trump’s invitation at the briefing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Mao Ning responded: “I have nothing to disclose at the moment.”
But the symbolism behind his presence at Trump’s second inauguration could be concerning.
Danny Russell, associate dean for international security and diplomacy at the Asia Society Policy Institute, told The Associated Press that Xi’s appearance — if he accepts it — could be understood as the Chinese president’s “celebration of the victories of foreign leaders.” ”.
“Can you imagine Xi Jinping sitting at the foot of a podium outdoors in Washington, D.C., in January, surrounded by hawkish members of Congress, staring up at Donald Trump as he delivered his inaugural address?” Russell asked.
Xi Jinping and Trump have clashed in the past. During Trump’s first term (2017-2021), he launched a trade war with China, in which the two countries imposed tariffs on each other’s imports.
In 2019, the United Nations Trade and Development Organization issued a report warning that the trade war “is causing damage to the economies of both countries.” Experts also warn that the cost of tariffs is often offset by consumers.
Trump has also engaged in a war of words with Xi Jinping’s administration during the COVID-19 pandemic, which he calls the “Chinese virus.” He held China accountable for its spread. China denounced Trump’s accusation as “baseless” and said his remarks were stigmatizing.
A second Trump term could spark further tensions with China. He has pledged to impose an additional 10% tariff on Chinese goods if more is not done to curb trade in the synthetic drug fentanyl.
His incoming administration includes several prominent foreign policy hawks, including Secretary of State nominee Marco Rubio, who has accused China of using “theft” and “predatory tactics” to strengthen its economy. China sanctioned Rubio in 2020.
The current administration of U.S. President Joe Biden has also largely retained some of the tariffs imposed during Trump’s first term and has taken aggressive measures aimed at hampering China’s technology industry.
But this week, evidence emerged that the United States may seek to strengthen cooperation with China.
The Biden administration announced that a delegation of senior Treasury officials will travel to Nanjing, China, while other officials will coordinate with their Chinese counterparts at a Group of 20 (G20) forum meeting in South Africa.
Trump has also expressed a willingness to ease relations. Trump also said in a speech at the New York Stock Exchange on Thursday that his new administration would be “doing a lot of negotiating with China.”
“We had a great relationship with China. I had an amazing relationship. Now, when COVID came, I cut it off. It was a step too far,” he said.
Some hope the two global powers can find room to work together where possible.
“We should choose dialogue over confrontation, and win-win cooperation over zero-sum game,” Xi said in a letter read aloud at the U.S.-China Business Council gala in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday.
