President-elect Donald Trump has reportedly invited Chinese President Xi Jinping to attend his inauguration on January 20. According to CBS News, the invitation was extended in early November, shortly after Trump’s election victory. However, it remains unclear whether Xi has accepted the offer, and the Chinese embassy in Washington declined to comment on the matter.

The Trump transition team is preparing to host a number of world leaders at the Capitol for the event. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who recently met with Trump at Mar-a-Lago and shares a close rapport with him, is still deciding whether to attend. “World leaders are lining up to meet with President Trump because they know he will soon return to power and restore peace through American strength around the globe,” said Karoline Leavitt, a spokesperson for Trump’s transition team.

In recent weeks, Trump has signaled a tough stance on China, including threats to raise tariffs on Chinese imports. Additionally, his administration has set a deadline of January 19 for ByteDance, the Chinese parent company of TikTok, to sell the app or face a ban in the United States. TikTok has been fighting the ban in court, losing a recent attempt to block it and now appealing to the Supreme Court.

Trump’s return to the White House marks a historic political comeback. He secured 295 electoral votes in the 2024 presidential election, defeating Democratic candidate Kamala Harris, who garnered 226 votes. This victory makes Trump only the second president in U.S. history to serve non-consecutive terms, the first being Grover Cleveland, who held office in 1884 and 1892. Trump previously served as president from 2016 to 2020.

Source: CBS News