Micah McCartney is a Newsweek reporter in Taipei, Taiwan. It covers U. S. -Chinese relations, East Asian and Southeast Asian security upheavals, and the links between China-Taiwan features. You can tap on Micah by sending an email to the Sr. McCartney@newsweek. com.
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
The Chinese president, Xi Jinping, sends a first -class civil official to the inauguration of US President Donald Trump, of Ambassador Xie Feng, in a resolution that breaks the tradition.
Newsweek contacted Trump’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Chinese by email with comments requests.
Xi’s move suggests an eagerness to lower tensions early in Trump’s second term in the White House. Washington and Beijing remain at loggerheads over a range of contentious issues, from trade and Beijing’s aggression toward Taiwan to Chinese economic and political support for Russia amid its ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
Trump has repeatedly pledged to significantly raise tariffs on imported Chinese goods, a move that would further escalate the trade war that began during his first term and Beijing warns could harm bilateral ties and hit American consumers in the pocketbook.
Although XI himself was considered unlikely, the president -elect extended an invitation for him, along with several other heads of state. It is rare for all world leaders to attend the inauguration.
“This is an example of President Trump creating an open discussion with the leaders of countries that are only allies, but also of our adversaries and competitors,” Trump spokeswoman and new press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a Fox News interview last month.
Chinese officials told Trump’s transition team that a top official would attend the inauguration instead of what is usually the Chinese ambassador, the Financial Times cited people familiar with the discussion as saying.
The official’s identity was not mentioned, but sources suggested the names of Vice President Han Zheng, who occasionally represents Xi at official functions, and Foreign Minister Wang Yi as potential candidates.
A source familiar with the conversations said that some of Trump’s advisors had expected Cai Qi, an official with more seniority than Han and a member of the most sensitive decision -making body of the Chinese Communist Party, they can attend.
Dennis Wilder, former director of China in the National Security Council of the White House: “Trump is probably too unpredictable for Xi to take the national threat to participate in person,” he told The Financial Times.
“When sending a special envoy of a height to download meetings with Trump and his cabinet, XI can show that he wants to go down to the right foot with Trump’s management without risking returning to his empty or publicly embarrassed house. ” “
Trump will swear as US president at the Capitol at noon on January 21.
Micah McCartney is a reporter for Newsweek based in Taipei, Taiwan. He covers U.S.-China relations, East Asian and Southeast Asian security issues, and cross-strait ties between China and Taiwan. You can get in touch with Micah by emailing [email protected].
Micah McCartney is a Newsweek journalist in Taipei, Taiwan. It covers US-Chinese relations, security disorders of East Asia and Southeast Asia, and the links between the characteristics between China and Taiwan. You can touch Micah by sending an email to Mr. McCartney@newsweek. com.