In a surprising development, US President-elect Donald Trump has invited Chinese President Xi Jinping to attend his inauguration ceremony on January 20, 2025.
The invitation is extended despite rising tensions between the two nations over trade and the trafficking of fentanyl.
The invitation to the inauguration had occurred in early November, shortly after the November 5 presidential election. US media said it was not clear if it had been accepted.
The Chinese embassy in the US did not immediately comment on a request for comment.
In an interview with NBC News, Trump said he got along with very well with Xi and that they had had communication as recently as this week.
The US president-elect has appointed several China hawks to major positions in his incoming administration. He made Senator Marco Rubio as secretary of state.
Trump has announced he will slap an additional 10 per cent tariff on Chinese goods unless Beijing does more to stop the trafficking of the highly addictive narcotic fentanyl.
The US president-elect also threatened tariffs in excess of 60 per cent on Chinese goods while on the campaign trail.
China’s state media had warned, in late November, Trump that his pledge to impose additional tariffs on Chinese goods over fentanyl flows could drag the world’s top two economies into a mutually destructive tariff war.
