On Wednesday, CBS News reported that Donald Trump invited Chinese President Xi Jinping to his inauguration ceremony in Washington. Most likely, Viktor Orbán, the prime minister of Hungary, will also be among the guests of the president-elect.
The invitation to the inauguration ceremony, which will be held on January 20 in Washington, was supposed to take place shortly after the presidential election in early November, reports CBS. However, it is not clear how Xi responded. The Embassy of the People's Republic of China (PRC) in Washington did not respond to the radio's questions.
Although Trump is one of China's biggest critics, he has repeatedly emphasized his good relationship with Xi Jinping and praised his ruthlessness and intelligence. He also claimed that “a smart president can manage relations with China, Russia and North Korea.”
In an interview with NBC News on Friday, Donald Trump admitted that “they have been in contact with Xi this week.”
Donald Trump and Xi Jinping (2017) ROMAN PILIPEY/EPA/PAP
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An unprecedented event
According to the CBS television channel, the committee for the preparation of this ceremony is also planning the participation of leaders of other foreign countries. Among them may be Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who met with Trump and his advisers in Florida on Monday. A CBS source said Orbán is still considering coming to Washington in January.
Although the Trump campaign team did not directly comment on the CBS reports, Carolyn Leavitt, who will serve as White House spokeswoman in the new administration, said that “world leaders are lining up to meet with President Trump because they know that very soon Trump will return to power and restore peace through American power throughout the world.”
As noted by CBS, the participation of foreign leaders in the swearing-in ceremony of the US president is not a tradition. State Department records have not recorded such an event since 1874, so this would be unprecedented.
Trump's foreign relations
Trump has already met with a number of foreign leaders, including the presidents of Argentina, Mexico, France and Ukraine, Britain's Prince William and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who recently called him “the governor” and suggested that Canada should become a 51-nation state. to become America's On Saturday, he also spoke with Andrzej Duda at the inauguration of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris.
As the Wall Street Journal reported Monday, some Democrats expressed anger that incumbent President Joe Biden has allowed Trump's diplomatic activities to overshadow the White House's actions and create the impression that he is already in power. has taken
Main photo credit: ROMAN PILIPEY/EPA/PAP
