The Chinese president, Xi Jinping, will send a high -level envoy to the inauguration of Donald Trump, in an unprecedented resolution designed for friction between countries at the beginning of the new US administration.

Beijing told Trump’s transition team that the top official would attend instead of Xi, according to several people familiar with the talks. The envoy would also hold talks with Trump’s team, several people said.

Trump extended a rare invitation to XI to attend his inauguration on Jan. 20 in a sign that he intended to resume the kind of higher-level engagement with the Chinese leader to whom he led his first term in the White House.

Beijing is desperate to ease friction with Washington as it braces for a possible serious escalation in trade tensions. Chinese officials struggled to meet Trump advisers in the run-up to November’s US election, raising concern in Beijing that they would be unprepared for any shift on China.

Several people said Xi could send Han Zheng, a vice-president who sometimes stands in for him in ceremonial roles. Another option is foreign minister Wang Yi.

A user familiar with the stage said that some Trump advisors looked for Cai Qi, a member of the Politburó State Committee who exercises much more strength that Han or Wang in his quality of XI’s right.

Another user familiar with the perspectives of the transition team said that there is some fear that Trump would not be satisfied if the envoy only in Wang or have since he had invited the Chinese boss.

“The Chinese will have to send the appropriate official point to start the appointment on the right foot,” said the person.

Wang would not be considered sufficient superior point because he qualified under CAI and Han and a career diplomat, an expert in China said.

The Chinese embassy in Washington made comments. Trump’s team responded to comments requests.  

The attendance of any of the officials would be unprecedented, given China has previously been represented by its ambassador in Washington.

“Trump is probably deemed too unpredictable for Xi to take the domestic risk of attending in person,” said Dennis Wilder, a former top White House China adviser. “By sending a special envoy of significant stature to get meetings with Trump and his cabinet, Xi can demonstrate that he wishes to get off on the right foot with the Trump administration without risking that he could return home empty-handed or publicly embarrassed.”

Several people said that beyond the ceremonial element, the Chinese envoy would also hold substantive discussions with the new Trump team.

Beijing is preparing for turbulence with Washington, especially after Trump designated a series of Chinese hawks in national security positions.

Mike Waltz, Trump’s new national security advisor and his assistant Alex Wong are very complicated in China. Trump also appointed American Republican Senator Marco Rubio, one of the top Chinese vocal hawks in Congress to be his secretary of state.

Trump said this week that his team is already in contact with Beijing. “We talked about their representatives,” Trump said in an interview on the Hugh Hewitt radio show, when he also blamed China for the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020.