Trump's inauguration snubbed by China's Xi despite invite
Donald Trump invited the President of China to his inauguration, but Xi Jinping has no intention of attending the ceremony in Washington, according to foreign media reports. "This is diplomatic theatre, nothing more," an expert notes. Meanwhile, Trump's spokesperson claims that "world leaders are lining up to meet with [him]."
CBS News reported on Wednesday that Donald Trump invited many foreign dignitaries to his inauguration, scheduled for January 20, including China's President Xi Jinping. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban is also considering attending. However, it appears that Vladimir Putin did not receive an invitation from Trump.
This has caused quite a stir across the ocean, as no foreign leaders have participated in a U.S. presidential inauguration ceremony since 1874.
In a conversation with CBS News, the new White House Press Secretary, Karoline Leavitt, confirmed that the President-elect sent out invitations, including one to Xi. "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 explained.
Meanwhile, as journalists from CBC News have discovered, the President of China has no intention of coming to Washington at Trump's invitation. The Chinese ambassador to the U.S. and his wife are expected to attend the inauguration in line with standard practice.
Experts believe that the presence of the Chinese leader at the U.S. president's inauguration would be an unprecedented event, considering the tense relations that have persisted between these two countries for decades.
- This is diplomatic theater, nothing more. Other heads of state, let alone Xi Jinping, haven’t attended U.S. Presidential inaugurations, remarked Scott Kennedy, a China specialist at the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies, to Reuters.
The Chinese Embassy in Washington declined to comment. When asked whether Xi confirmed his presence, Trump's spokesperson told Fox News that she did not know. Previously, she stated that "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."
