President-elect Trump invited Xi to the swearing-in ceremony shortly after winning the election.

Summary

Chinese President Xi Jinping is not expected to attend Donald Trump’s inauguration despite a personal invitation extended by Trump shortly after Election Day.

This informal invitation, which surprised Beijing and U.S. allies, breaks from standard diplomatic protocol as no foreign head of state has attended a U.S. inauguration since 1874.

China’s ambassador and other officials will represent Beijing instead.

The invitation comes amid tense U.S.-China relations, following a major Chinese-linked hack of U.S. telecoms, raising concerns about the geopolitical implications of Trump’s outreach to Xi.