Uncertainty Over Acceptance of Invitation for Poetry Commentary
No Head of State Has Attended U.S. Inauguration Since 1874
Donald Trump, the President-elect of the United States, has invited Xi Jinping, the President of China, to his inauguration ceremony to be held in Washington DC on January 20 next year, CBS reported on the 11th (local time).
Sources said that Trump sent an invitation to President Xi shortly after his election victory last month, but it is unclear whether President Xi has accepted the invitation. CBS added that there was no comment from the Chinese Embassy in the United States regarding this matter.
There is also speculation that Trump’s transition team may invite other foreign leaders besides President Xi. In this regard, Viktor Orb?n, the Prime Minister of Hungary, who is known as the "Trump of Hungary," is reportedly considering attending. Prime Minister Orb?n, who has shown a close relationship with Trump since his first administration, met with Trump, Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, and Mike Waltz, a member of the House of Representatives nominated as White House National Security Advisor, at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida on the 9th.
Generally, ambassadors and diplomats are invited to inaugurations, but according to U.S. State Department records, CBS reported that no foreign head of state has attended a U.S. presidential inauguration since 1874.
During his presidential campaign, Trump praised President Xi personally as a "good friend," but has advocated a tough stance against China on issues such as trade and security. Trump, who has pledged to impose a 60% punitive tariff on Chinese imports, announced at the end of last month that he would impose an additional 10% tariff on China until the drug problem, including fentanyl, known as the so-called "zombie drug," is resolved.
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