President-elect Donald Trump has invited Chinese President Xi Jinping to his inauguration in January, though it's unclear whether he plans to attend.
In an interview Thursday on Fox News' "Fox and Friends," incoming White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed the invitation had been extended to Xi.
“That is true, yes, and 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," she said.
Leavitt added: "We saw this in his first term. He got a lot of criticism for it, but it led to peace around this world. He is willing to talk to anyone, and he will always put America’s interests first."
Asked whether Xi had responded to the invitation, Leavitt said, "To be determined," adding that it is "precedent" to invite foreign dignitaries to the inauguration.
It would be unprecedented, however, if Xi actually attended. China’s U.S. Embassy didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.
Trump has said that he has a strong relationship with Xi and that XI respects him. The U.S.-China relationship, on the other hand, could change during a second Trump administration, as Trump has advocated a tougher approach toward the country than the Biden administration’s.
Trump vowed, for example, to double down on tariffs on Chinese imports after he started a trade war over the issue during his first term. During the campaign, he said he would impose tariffs of 60% or more on Chinese goods, and last month he said he would impose an additional 10% tariff on Chinese goods unless Beijing does more to stop the international flow of precursor chemicals for fentanyl.
Trump’s Cabinet picks also include a number of critics of Xi’s government, including Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., for secretary of state, and Rep. Mike Waltz, R-Fla., for national security adviser.
Trump will be inaugurated on Jan. 20, a day after the U.S.-imposed deadline for ByteDance, the Chinese parent company of TikTok, to sell the social media app or face a ban in the U.S. The Justice Department asked a U.S. appeals court Wednesday to reject an emergency motion by TikTok to temporarily block the law.
Trump had supported the ban before he reversed his position this year.
Trump has long touted his close relationship with Xi, whom he hosted at Mar-a-Lago, his Florida home, in 2017. Xi congratulated Trump after his election victory last month, but it is not clear whether the two men have spoken.
Xi told President Joe Biden last month that he would work with the incoming Trump administration and that “China’s goal of a stable, healthy and sustainable China-U.S. relationship remains unchanged.”
