China is sending Vice President Han Zheng to attend the inauguration of US President-elect Donald Trump on Monday, the first time a top Chinese leader has witnessed the swearing-in of a US president.
Trump had invited Chinese President Xi Jinping, among other leaders, in a departure from tradition given that foreign leaders usually do not attend the inauguration of the US president.
China said it wants to work with the new US government “to find the right path to reconciliation between the two countries in the new era.”
But Beijing is also preparing for a Trump presidency that is expected to include it New tariffs on Chinese-made imports And the most combative rhetoric — Marco Rubio, the nominee for Secretary of State, called China “the greatest and most advanced adversary America has ever faced.”
As president, Xi never attended an inauguration or coronation, choosing instead to send a representative on his behalf. The Chinese ambassador to the United States attended the last two presidential inaugurations, in 2017 and 2021.
However, Beijing has sent vice presidents to attend such ceremonies elsewhere – Han attended the inauguration of Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto in October 2023. His predecessor, Wang Qishan, was present at the inauguration of Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in 2022 and Brazilian President Lula Da Silva. In 2023.
Neil Thomas, a Middle East expert, says Xi's decision to send Han to the US is a sign that he “wants to put Trump in deal-making mode, but he doesn't want to be a supporting actor in Trump's January 20 show.” Fellow in Chinese Politics at the Asia Society Policy Institute.
Other foreign leaders invited to the inauguration include Argentine President Javier Miley and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
Trump's spokeswoman, Carolyn Levitt, told US media that the invitation to Xi was “an example of Trump creating an open dialogue with leaders of countries that are not only our allies, but our adversaries and competitors.”
It could also be an attempt by Trump to show the world “that he has the ability to influence Xi's decision-making process and that they have a special relationship,” says Yun Sun, director of the China Program at the Stimson Center in Washington.
Previous reports indicated that some Trump advisers wanted Kai Chi to attend. The 66-year-old Tsai, widely seen as Xi's right-hand man, is a member of the seven-member Politburo Standing Committee, China's equivalent of the Cabinet.
The Financial Times quoted an unnamed informed source as saying that Trump would be “unhappy” if the Chinese envoy present was “only at the level of Han or (Foreign Minister) Wang Yi.” The BBC was unable to verify these allegations.
But as vice president, the 70-year-old Han occupies “a very senior role in the Chinese state system” and the decision to send him agreements is “a courtesy to Trump,” says Zhong Ja-ian, a non-resident scholar at Carnegie University. China.
Han, who was appointed vice president in March 2023, is known as “Number Eight” — the top leader after the seven men on the Politburo Standing Committee.
Han was also a member until October 2022, when Xi began a historic third term in power He appointed his most trusted deputies To the top jobs.
Before that, Han spent most of his political career in Shanghai, where he was born. In 2007, he worked as an aide to Xi Jinping when the latter was Party Secretary of Shanghai, before taking the position himself later in 2012.
Foreign affairs were a major focus for him during his term as Vice President. He led a group to promote the Belt and Road Initiative – a major Chinese trade and infrastructure project – and chaired a steering committee on the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.
But the fact that Han is no longer a member of the Politburo Standing Committee may have been a key consideration in Beijing's decision to send him.
“If US-China relations take a turn for the worse from the party's point of view, Xi and the party will be able to show that they have maintained a certain distance from Trump,” Professor Zhong said.
It also helps that Han is not considered part of Xi's inner circle, according to Thomas.
“Xi trusts Han enough to undertake this mission, but Han is not a key ally and can safely be blamed if things go embarrassingly wrong.”
Additional reporting by Ian Tang, BBC Monitoring correspondent
