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.
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
The Chinese president, Xi Jinping, is sending a high -ranking official to the inauguration of US President Donald Trump, of the Xie Feng ambassador, in a movement that breaks the tradition.
Newsweek contacted Trump and China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs through 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 continuously pledged significantly the costs in imported Chinese products, a resolution that would build the war of the industry that began his first mandate and that Beijing warns can damage bilateral ties and hit US consumers in the wallet.
Although XI himself was considered unlikely, the president -elect extended an invitation for him, as well as a safe number of other heads of state. It is rare that all global leaders attend the inauguration.
“This is an example that President Trump creates an open discussion with the leaders of countries that are only allies, but also of our adversaries and competitors,” said Trump spokeswoman and the new press secretary Karoline Leavitt in an interview of Fox News 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 identity of the official has not been mentioned, however, the sources have reported on the names of the vice president Han Zheng, who represents XI in official functions, and Foreign Minister Wang Yi as possible candidates.
A source who knew the talks said some of Trump’s advisers were hopeful that Cai Qi, a senior official than Han and a member of the most productive resolution framework for the Chinese Communist Party, would be able to attend.
Dennis Wilder, former China director at the White House National Security Council: “Trump is probably too unpredictable for Xi to take the national threat of in-person engagement,” he told The Financial Times.
“When sending to a special envoy of the size to download meetings with Trump and his cabinet, XI can show that you want to start with the right foot with the management of Trump without running the risk of returning home empty or embarrassed publicly. ” “
Trump will swear as US president at the Capitol at noon on January 21.
Micah McCartney is a Newsweek reporter in Taipei, Taiwan. It covers U. S. -China relations, East and Southeast Asian security issues, and China-Taiwan trait-to-line ties. You can tap on Micah by emailing M. McCartney@newsweek . com.
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].