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President Donald Trump has invited world leaders to his January inauguration, a Trump spokesperson said on Thursday.
Karoline Leavitt, Trump’s transition spokesperson and choice to serve as White House Press Secretary, revealed that Chinese President Xi Jinping was among those invited but his attendance was not yet determined.
“This is an example of President Trump creating an open dialog with leaders of countries that are not just our allies but our adversaries and our competitors, too,” she added. “He is willing to talk to anyone and he will always put America’s interests first.”
The next comes one week after Trump selected former Sen. David Perdue of Georgia to be ambassador to China. The president shared the news in a post to his Truth Social account that emphasized Perdue’s loyalty and expertise.
“Tonight, I am announcing that former U.S. Senator, David Perdue, has accepted my appointment as the next United States Ambassador to the People’s Republic of China. As a Fortune 500 CEO, who had a 40-year International business career, and served in the U.S. Senate, David brings valuable expertise to help build our relationship with China,” Trump wrote.
“He has lived in Singapore and Hong Kong, and worked in Asia and China for much of his career. In the U.S. Senate, he served on the Armed Services Committee, where he was Chair of the powerful Sea Power Subcommittee. He also served on the Foreign Relations Committee, the only Republican to serve on both Committees,” he continued.
Other world leaders have been invited but not yet confirmed. The Times of Israel previously reported that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu plans to attend.
“Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is planning to attend US President-elect’s inauguration in Washington on January 20, Channel 13 news reports,” the outlet shared on Monday.
“The television station quotes a source in the Prime Minister’s Office as confirming that the trip is under consideration, though ‘no final decision has yet been made on the matter,’” it added.