WASHINGTON: US President-elect Donald Trump has formally invited Chinese President Xi Jinping to attend his inauguration ceremony on January 20 amidst rising tensions between the two nations over trade and security concerns, CBS reported, citing multiple sources.
The invitation to the Jan. 20 inauguration in Washington occurred in early November, shortly after the Nov. 5 presidential election, and it was not clear if it had been accepted, CBS reported.
The Chinese embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Trump said in an interview with NBC News conducted on Friday that he “got along with very well” with Xi and that they had “had communication as recently as this week.”
Trump has named numerous China hawks to key posts in his incoming administration, including Senator Marco Rubio as secretary of state.
Trump has said he will impose an additional 10% tariff on Chinese goods unless Beijing does more to stop the trafficking of the highly addictive narcotic fentanyl. He also threatened tariffs in excess of 60% on Chinese goods while on the campaign trail.
In late November, China’s state media warned Trump that his pledge to slap additional tariffs on Chinese goods over fentanyl flows could drag the world’s top two economies into a mutually destructive tariff war.
