An official at the Chinese embassy in Washington on Thursday called Donald Trump’s invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping to his second inauguration a “welcoming signal”, but did not say whether Xi would attend the ceremony on January 20.
Trump’s incoming press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, confirmed earlier media reports that Trump had invited Xi, but said it remained “to be determined” if Xi would attend.
Qiu Wenxing, an embassy minister, said at the Institute for China-America Studies’ annual conference in Washington that he hoped such an overture might lead to a “good start” to bilateral relations in Trump’s second term.
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“If that report is real, it shows that the president-elect’s transitional team attaches great performance to the working relations between the presidents, and between the Chinese government and the transition team,” Qiu said, though he did not say whether Xi would attend.
“I think that is a welcoming signal. We’re looking forward to working ... with the transition team ... that is our goal, to make this relationship to have a smooth transition, and then early next year we can have a good start.”
Foreign heads of state do not customarily attend US presidential inaugurations, and some analysts said Xi was unlikely to go.
The Chinese foreign ministry in Beijing said on Thursday that it had “no information to provide” about the invitation.
However, Yu Tiejun, an international relations professor at Peking University, contended during the panel discussion that Xi should attend the inauguration.
“It’s very unusual of Trump, and that will be another icebreaker,” he said.
Many analysts expect Trump’s China policy in his second term to resume the aggressive stance of his first, as he has vowed to impose more tariffs on China from his first day in office – up to 60 per cent on all Chinese imports.
Trump has also been filling top-level slots with long-time China hawks including Senator Marco Rubio for US secretary of state and Representative Mike Waltz for national security adviser.
Qiu said he hoped that Trump’s second administration would recognise the importance of cooperation between the two nations and resolve their differences through negotiations.
“If China and the United States start a trade war again, the whole world will pay a price for it, and so will both China and the United States,” he said.
It is unclear whether Trump will keep the communication channels and working groups that US President Joe Biden and his administration have maintained with Beijing.
Biden and Xi resumed and established working groups on issues ranging from the economy to technology to the Indo-Pacific since their November 2023 meeting on the sidelines of the Apec forum in San Francisco.
Qiu said it would be “detrimental” to the interests of both nations if those channels are reduced or scrapped in Trump’s second term.
“We also hope that the new US government ... can carry out close communication through the existing channels of both sides at the beginning of its term.”
At the institute event, US and Chinese analysts said it was too early to determine how Trump’s second administration would handle China policy.
Even with Trump’s threat of new tariffs, he has given few details about his trade policy for China.
Michael Swaine, a senior research fellow at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, said that Beijing should not overreact to Trump’s threats and promises.
“Beijing needs to resist the temptation to engage in rigid tit-for-tat action in response to Trump and instead convey an image of restraint, prudence, pragmatism ... while making it clear where certain red lines lie, especially regarding issues like Taiwan.”
It is also unclear what Trump’s Taiwan policy will look like in his second term. During his campaign, he said he wanted the self-ruled island to pay the US for its defence.
Taiwan remains one of the most dangerous flashpoints in the US-China relationship, with Beijing ramping up military actions around the island and citing the continued US arms sales to Taipei as a cause.
Reuters reported on Thursday that Taipei sent two senior officials to meet with people connected with Trump’s transition team, a move expected to infuriate Beijing, which regards Taiwan as a rogue province to be eventually united with the mainland, by force if necessary.
Most countries, including the US, do not recognise Taiwan as an independent nation, but Washington opposes any attempt to take the island by force and is committed to supplying it with arms to defend itself.
In his remarks at the conference, Qiu said that China was determined to safeguard its sovereignty and that Taiwan’s status was not to be challenged.
“If this red line is being pushed, the relationship will suffer a lot,” he said.
More from South China Morning Post:
- Will Xi Jinping attend Trump’s inauguration at returning US president’s invitation?
- US-China ties under Donald Trump: first year of his presidency is crucial, says scholar
- China prepared to keep talking to US, Xi assures Washington business group
- China still ‘open’ to trade engagement with Trump despite tariff threats
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