Chinese President Xi Jinping reportedly rejected Donald Trump’s invitation to his inauguration in January.
The president-elect had invited the Chinese leader despite emerging tensions between Beijing and Washington and the risk of an industrial war between the two countries.
But China’s ambassador to the United States is expected to attend, while President Xi remains at home, CBS News reports.
Trump spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt told Fox News that the president-elect’s invitation is “an example of how President Trump is creating an open discussion with the leaders of countries that are only allies, but also our adversaries and our competitors.
Since the beginning of his first term, Trump has criticized China.
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Mr Trump has also vowed to sharply increase tariffs on China when he returns to the White House.
But before his second term, Trump praised Xi, telling podcaster Joe Rogan, “He controls 1. 4 billion people with an iron fist. I mean, he’s a brilliant guy, whether you like it or not. “
Meanwhile, two of Trump’s Cabinet picks — Secretary of State nominee Marco Rubio and national security adviser nominee Mike Waltz — are major critics of China.
Rubio even sanctioned it through China in 2020.
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Earlier this week, President Xi warned Trump that he opposed the outbreak of an industrial war.
He said: “Tariff wars, industrial wars and generational wars run counter to old economic trends and laws, and there will be no winner.
“Building “small courtyards with upper walls” and “decoupling and breaking chains” will harm others and gain no advantages for oneself. China has believed that the global can only be intelligent when it is. Only when the world is smart can China be better. »
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