Donald Trump, the President-elect, has reportedly invited Chinese President Xi Jinping to his inauguration ceremony scheduled for January 20th in Washington, D.C., according to CBS News on the 11th (local time). CBS states that Trump sent an invitation letter to President Xi right after winning the presidential election last month. However, it is unclear whether President Xi accepted the invitation.
The Trump transition team is also considering inviting other foreign leaders, including Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, known as the “Trump of Hungary.” Notably, according to U.S. State Department records since 1874, no foreign leader has ever attended a U.S. presidential inauguration, making the invitation itself unprecedented.
During his campaign, Trump referred to President Xi as a “good friend” but has expressed a tough stance on China concerning trade and security policies. Trump has mentioned imposing a 60% tariff on Chinese imports and announced an additional 10% tariff until China resolves issues related to drugs like fentanyl, known as “zombie drugs.”
From January, tariffs on Chinese solar wafers and polysilicon imported into the U.S. will double from 25% to 50%. Additionally, tungsten tariffs will rise from 0% to 25%. These items are essential in solar cell manufacturing and in products like weapons and computer chips. President Biden previously directed an increase in tariffs on Chinese goods, including electric vehicles and batteries, in response to what he deemed unfair trade practices by China.
With the anticipated U.S.-China trade tensions during Trump’s second term, China is reportedly preparing negotiation strategies. According to Bloomberg, China’s recent retaliatory measures against U.S. regulations are seen as a buffer against the incoming Trump administration’s expected policies. In response to U.S. export controls on key AI chip components, China banned the export of several rare metals, including gallium and germanium, to the U.S. China also announced an antitrust investigation into NVIDIA, the world’s largest semiconductor company. Bloomberg suggests that China is moderating its retaliation based on lessons from the trade war during Trump’s first term, as it strategically employs targeted export controls and strengthens domestic regulation of foreign businesses.