Chinese President Xi Jinping will send a senior official to Donald Trumpʼs inauguration, a move that is expected to ease misunderstandings between the countries at the start of the new US presidential administration.
This is reported by the Financial Times.
An as-yet-unknown representative of the PRC will participate in the event in place of Xi. The publicationʼs sources say that the envoy will also hold talks with the Trump team.
The US president-elect has invited the Chinese leader to his inauguration on January 20 as he seeks to restore ties, the FT reported. Beijing is trying to ease tensions with Washington as it prepares for a possible escalation in trade tensions.
Xi Jinping could probably send his vice president, Han Zheng, to the US Another option reportedly being considered is Foreign Minister Wang Yi. Another source said some Trump advisers wanted to see Cai Qi, a member of the Politburo Standing Committee who has far more power than Han Zheng or Wang Yi.
It is speculated that Trump may be unhappy if the envoy is only at the level of Wang or Han. The presence of either official would be unprecedented — China has previously been represented at such ceremonies by its ambassador to Washington.
The US-China relations
Trade tensions between China and the United States have been escalating in recent years, with tariffs, import and export restrictions, and a competition for technological leadership. Both Beijing and Washington exert significant influence on international trade, and their bilateral restrictions also affect other countries.
At the same time, tensions are growing due to differences in geopolitical interests. One of the key issues is Taiwan. China threatens to “return” Taiwan, which is an ally of the United States. The ruling Communist Party considers Taiwan to be part of its territory. Beijing has increasingly promised to “reunify” the island with mainland China since 2022. The US President Joe Biden has said that the United States will defend Taiwan in the event of an attack.
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