President-elect Donald Trump has extended an invitation to Chinese President Xi Jinping to attend his inauguration next month, according to multiple sources who spoke with CBS News. Plans are also underway to accommodate other foreign dignitaries for the event.
Sources revealed that Trump reached out to Xi in early November, shortly after his victory, although it is unclear whether the invitation has been accepted. A representative from the Chinese embassy in Washington declined to comment on the matter.
In addition to Xi, Trump’s team is contemplating inviting other global leaders to join the inauguration at the Capitol on January 20. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, known for his strong relationship with Trump and his recent visit to Mar-a-Lago, is “still considering” attending, according to a source familiar with Orbán’s plans.
“World leaders are lining up to meet with President Trump because they know he will soon return to power and restore peace through American strength around the globe,” said Karoline Leavitt, a spokesperson for Trump’s transition team.
While it is customary for ambassadors and diplomats to be invited to presidential inaugurations, historical records from the State Department dating back to 1874 show that no foreign leader has ever attended a transfer-of-power ceremony.
Trump’s close associates, including Senator Marco Rubio—his nominee for secretary of state—and incoming national security adviser Mike Waltz, continue to be vocal critics of Xi’s administration.
Trump has previously threatened to raise tariffs on Chinese goods, and the U.S. has set a deadline of January 19, the day before the inauguration, for ByteDance, the Chinese parent company of TikTok, to sell the app or face a ban in the U.S. TikTok is contesting the ban in court and recently lost an attempt to block the action, though it is appealing the decision to the Supreme Court.
Despite his strong stance on China, Trump has long believed that establishing close personal relationships with world leaders is crucial for successful international diplomacy. Since his election, many world leaders, including Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Argentine President Javier Milei, have visited Trump at Mar-a-Lago for private meetings.
French President Emmanuel Macron was the first world leader to host Trump abroad since his 2024 election win. At the Paris reopening of the Notre Dame Cathedral, Macron was joined by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, and Prince William.
At the time of his first inauguration in 2017, Trump was relatively unknown on the global stage. This time, however, foreign leaders are treating him as an incumbent president.
{Matzav.com}
