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].

Based on the facts, it was observed and verified first through the journalist, or informed and verified of competent 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 continually pledged to particularly increase price lists in imported Chinese products, a measure that would increase extra in the industry war that began his first mandate and that Beijing is caution can damage bilateral ties and hit US consumers In the wallet.

Although Xi himself was deemed unlikely to help, the president-elect extended an invitation to him, as well as a sure number of other heads of state. It’s rare for all global leaders to attend the inauguration.

“This is an example that President Trump creates an open discussion with leaders from countries that are not only allies, but also our parties at war and our competitors,” said Trump’s spokesman and Karoline Leavitt’s new press secretary Interview with Fox News last month.

Chinese officials told Trump’s transition team that a senior official would attend the inauguration rather than the Chinese ambassador, the Financial Times quoted other people familiar with the discussion as.

The identity of the official was not mentioned, but the resources reported the names of the vice president Han Zheng, who represents XI in official positions, and Foreign Minister Wang Yi, as possible candidates.

A source that knew that conversations said that some of Trump’s advisors were hope that Cai Qi, an official with more seniority and a member of the most productive resolution framework for the Chinese Communist Party, can attend.

Dennis Wilder, former director for China on the White House’s National Security Council: “Trump is probably deemed too unpredictable for Xi to take the domestic risk of attending 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 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 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.