As Inauguration Day approaches, President-elect Donald Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance prepare for their swearing-in ceremony. For the inaugration, Trump has invited Chinese President Xi Jinping to attend his Janurary 20 inauguration, CBS News reported citing sources.
Reports suggest that Trump extended an invitation to Xi in early November, shortly after the election. However, it remains unclear whether the Chinese president has accepted. A spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in Washington has yet to comment on it.
The ceremony will be held at the US Capitol building in Washington, D.C., specifically on the west front of the Capitol. Trump will become the 47th president of the United States, becoming just the second US president in history to be elected to nonconsecutive terms. The president-elect’s team is gearing up to host several world leaders at the Capitol in January.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who has a warm relationship with Trump and visited him at Mar-a-Lago this week, is “still considering” whether to attend, as per CBS News.
“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,” Trump transition spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said.
Recently, it was reported how Trump has proposed tariffs on top US import partners–China, Mexico, and Canada. Trump has threatened to impose steep tariffs as part of his economic policies aimed at protecting American industries and addressing de-dollarisation concerns. The proposed measures include an additional 10 per cent tariff on imports from China and 25 per cent tariffs on Canada and Mexico
Moreover, the US government has set a deadline of January 19, the eve of Trump’s inauguration, for TikTok’s Chinese parent company ByteDance to sell the social media app or face a ban in the US. According to CBS News, TikTok is currently fighting the ban in court, having lost a bid to block the ban last week is appealing the case to the Supreme Court.
US elections 2024
In a historic political comeback, Trump won a second term as President of the United States after securing 295 electoral votes in the 2024 presidential election, defeating Democratic rival, Kamala Harris, who garnered 226 votes.
(With inputs from agencies)
