Chinese President Xi Jinping will send a high-level envoy to Donald Trump's inauguration, in an unprecedented move intended to reduce friction between the countries at the start of the new US administration.
Beijing told Trump's transition team that the top official would attend in Xi's place, according to several people familiar with the talks. The envoy would also speak with Trump's team, several people said.
Trump extended an unusual invitation to Xi to attend his inauguration on January 20, a sign that he intended to resume the type of high-level engagement with the Chinese leader that he conducted during his first term in office. the White House.
Beijing is desperate to ease frictions with Washington as it prepares for a possible serious escalation in trade tensions. Chinese officials have struggled to meet with Trump's advisers in the run-up to November's U.S. election, raising concerns in Beijing that they are unprepared for any changes regarding China.
Several people said Xi could send Han Zheng, a vice president who sometimes replaces him in ceremonial roles. Another option is that of Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
A person familiar with the matter said some Trump advisers were seeking Cai Qi, a member of the Politburo Standing Committee who wields far more power than Han or Wang in his capacity as Xi's right-hand man.
Another person familiar with views within the transition team said there was concern Trump would be unhappy if the envoy was only at the level of Wang or Han, given that he had invited the Chinese leader .
The Chinese need to send the appropriate level of officials to start relations on the right foot, the source said.
Wang would not be considered high enough because he was ranked below Cai and Han and was a career diplomat, a Chinese expert said.
The Chinese Embassy in Washington had no comment. Team Trump did not respond to requests for comment.
The presence of either official would be unprecedented, given that China has already been represented by its ambassador in Washington.
Trump is probably considered too unpredictable for Xi to take the national risk of attending in person, said Dennis Wilder, a former senior White House adviser on China. By sending a high-profile special envoy to meet with Trump and his cabinet, Xi can demonstrate that he wants to start fresh with the Trump administration without risking going home empty-handed or publicly embarrassed.
Several people said that beyond the ceremonial element, the Chinese envoy would also have substantive discussions with the new Trump team.
Beijing is bracing for turmoil with Washington, particularly after Trump appointed a series of China hawks to top national security posts.
Mike Waltz, Trump's new national security adviser, and his deputy Alex Wong are both seen as very tough on China. Trump also nominated Republican U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, one of the most vocal China hawks in Congress, as secretary of state.
Trump said this week that his team was already in contact with Beijing. We spoke through 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.
