President-elect Donald Trump has invited Chinese language President Xi Jinping to attend his inauguration subsequent month, a number of sources informed CBS Information, and inauguration officers are planning for extra international dignitaries to attend the swearing-in ceremony.
Trump invited Xi in early November, shortly after the election, sources stated, however it was not clear whether or not he has accepted the invitation. A spokesperson for the Chinese language embassy in Washington didn’t instantly remark.
Along with Xi, the president-elect’s workforce has raised the potential of internet hosting different leaders on the Capitol on Jan. 20. Hungary’s far-right chief, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who has a heat relationship with Trump and visited him at Mar-a-Lago this week, is “nonetheless contemplating” whether or not to attend, in accordance with a supply aware of Orbán’s plans.
“World leaders are lining as much as meet with President Trump as a result of they know he’ll quickly return to energy and restore peace by American energy across the globe,” Trump transition spokesperson Karoline Leavitt stated.
Ambassadors and different diplomats are usually invited to inaugurations, however State Division information relationship again to 1874 present {that a} international chief has by no means attended a transfer-of-power ceremony.
Members of Trump’s internal circle stay sharp critics of Xi’s authorities, together with Sen. Marco Rubio, his decide to be secretary of state, and incoming nationwide safety adviser Mike Waltz.
Trump himself has threatened to extend tariffs on items from China. The U.S. has imposed a deadline of Jan. 19, the eve of the inauguration, for TikTok’s Chinese language father or mother firm ByteDance to promote the social media app or face a ban within the U.S. TikTok is preventing the ban in court docket — it misplaced a bid final week to dam the ban however is interesting the case to the Supreme Courtroom.
However Trump has additionally lengthy believed that shut leader-to-leader relationships are key to worldwide deal-making. Since Election Day, world leaders have trekked to Mar-a-Lago to fulfill with Trump, together with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Argentina’s president, Javier Milei, has additionally been granted non-public audiences with the president-elect.
Emmanuel Macron, the president of France, was the primary world chief to host Trump abroad since he received the 2024 election. Additionally in attendance on the Paris reopening of the Notre Dame Cathedral have been Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloni, Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelensky and Prince William.
Trump was largely unknown on the world stage at his first inauguration in 2017. This time, world leaders are treating Trump basically as an incumbent.
Margaret Brennan
contributed to this report.
