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China's Vice President Han Zheng to Attend Trump's Inauguration in Unprecedented Move; Xi Urges Caution on Taiwan in Call

Jan 17, 2025, 02:48 PM

China has announced that Vice President Han Zheng will attend President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration on Monday, an unprecedented move as past inaugurations were typically attended by China's ambassador. President Xi Jinping will not attend the ceremony but expressed hope for a "good start" with the United States in Trump's new term during a telephone conversation with Trump ahead of the inauguration. Xi emphasized that "the question of Taiwan concerns China's national sovereignty and territorial integrity" and hoped the U.S. would "handle it with great care." Trump thanked Xi for his congratulations on his re-election and said the call was "a very good one for both China and the U.S.A." He added, "It is my expectation that we will solve many problems together," and expressed a desire to meet with Xi soon. The two leaders agreed to establish strategic communication channels and maintain regular contact on major issues of common interest. Meanwhile, a delegation of Taiwanese lawmakers, led by Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu of the Kuomintang (KMT), is set to attend the inauguration. Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) met with the delegation before their departure.