Chinese VP to attend Donald Trump’s presidential inauguration

Chinese Vice President Han Zheng, President Xi Jinping’s special representative, will attend Donald Trump’s presidential inauguration on Monday in Washington, D.C.

Han will attend the ceremony at the request of the United States, according to a statement from the country’s Foreign Ministry.

Beijing adheres to the “principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence, and win-win cooperation in its approach to relations with the U.S.,” according to the statement, expressing China’s willingness to work with the new U.S. administration to strengthen dialogue and communication, effectively manage differences, broaden mutually beneficial cooperation, and jointly strive for a stable, healthy, and sustainable relationship.

According to the statement, China’s goal is to provide a constructive route for the two countries to cohabit in the new era.

This is the first time that a high-ranking Chinese official would attend a U.S. presidential inauguration.

Earlier, reports surfaced that immediately after his victory in November, Trump requested Chinese President Xi to attend the ceremonial ceremony, which marked his second inauguration following his first term from 2017-2021.

Some traditional U.S. allies are reportedly angered by Trump’s decision to invite the leader of a key U.S. competitor rather than one of its Western friends.