Will Xi Jinping attend Trump’s inauguration at returning US president’s invitation?
US outlet reports Trump invited Xi soon after winning election, even though foreign heads of state do not attend presidential inaugurations
There is no record of any Chinese head of state joining a US presidential transition ceremony. Since becoming China’s paramount leader, Xi has never attended such an event overseas, instead sending a special representative or envoy.
It would also generally take rounds of preparation for a Chinese president to visit the United States, a process that could span several months.
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In early November, shortly after winning the US election, Trump invited Xi to attend the ceremony scheduled for January 20, CBS News reported on Wednesday, citing multiple sources.
Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said on Thursday that Beijing would not comment on whether Trump invited Xi.
Washington records dating back to 1874 show that no foreign heads of state have been involved in a US presidential inauguration, although it is common for foreign dignitaries and diplomats to attend, a practice Beijing has also adopted.
For instance, then-Chinese ambassador to the US Zhou Wenzhong attended Barack Obama’s inauguration in 2009 as the Chinese government’s representative.
