Trump invites China’s Xi to next month’s inauguration

Chinese leader Xi Jinping has been invited to attend President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration next month.

Karoline Leavitt, the incoming White House press secretary, told Fox News on Thursday that the inaugural committee had extended an invite to Xi and other foreign leaders, but she did not offer details of who else was invited beyond the Chinese president. CBS News was the first to report on the invites.

“This is an example of President Trump creating an open dialogue with leaders of countries that are not just allies but our adversaries and our competitors too,” Leavitt said on Fox.

She added that it’s “to be determined” whether Xi accepts the invitation.

Leavitt described inviting foreign dignitaries as “precedent.” But an invitation to a leader like Xi is not the norm, according to Allan Lichtman, a professor of politics at American University.

“It is precedent to invite some dignitaries like ambassadors, but not foreign heads of state, certainly not a head of state who is not an ally,” Lichtman said in an email to NPR.

Trump has taken a hard line against China. Though during his first term, he often touted a strong relationship with Xi, and has said they had “great chemistry.”

But the first Trump administration imposed tariffs on some products from China, and Trump has recently threatened further tariffs in his second term.

In a post last month on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump threatened a 10% tariff on goods coming into the U.S. from China because of the amount of fentanyl and other drugs entering the U.S. from there. It’s not yet clear if the tariff will be actualized.