‘Maverick diplomacy’: Trump invites Xi to inauguration for ‘open dialogue’

Continuing with his maverick diplomacy, U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has invited China’s President Xi Jinping to his inauguration next month for “open dialogue” with adversaries, his spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said on Thursday.

The invitation to the leader of China, who had been a target during Trump’s campaign and after, is in keeping with the unconventional diplomacy that Trump practiced in his first term, reaching out to North Korea’s dictator Kim Jong Un.

Without being specific about Xi, Trump said of the invitations that are being sent out, “Some people said, ‘Wow, that’s a little risky, isn’t it’? And I said, ‘Maybe it is. We’ll see. We’ll see what happens’. But we like to take little chances.”

Leavitt said in an interview with Fox News, “This is an example of President Trump creating an open dialogue with leaders of countries that are not just our allies but our adversaries and our competitors too.”

She added: “He had done this in his first term and he got a lot of criticism for it, but it led to peace around the world. He is willing to talk to anyone. He will always put America’s interest first.”

Beijing had not reacted to the invitation as of Thursday night.

Throughout his campaign for presidency and after his election, Trump had criticized China for its predatory trade practices and its role in the narcotics network that is behind the deaths of tens of thousands of Americans.

He has threatened to increase tariffs on China’s imports if it did not end the export of materials used to make synthetic narcotics.

He has also complained about China continuing to have “developing country” status at the World Trade Organization, giving it favorable export status.

Trump has named David Perdue as his Beijing Ambassador, who is considered to be a hawk on China.

Earlier, David Perdue warned in a newspaper article, “Americans first have to realize the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) actually is at war with us.”