Chinese leader Xi Jinping may not have personally accepted US President-elect Donald Trump’s invitation to his inauguration, but Beijing has taken the rare step of dispatching a top official to join the swearing-in ceremony in Washington.

Vice President Han Zheng, China’s representative at Donald Trump’s inauguration on Monday, is a trusted adviser to President Xi Jinping, a long-time survivor of Chinese politics who rose from toiling on a collective farm and in factories to becoming one of the most powerful people in the country.

Vice President Han Zheng will represent China at Donald Trump's inauguration on Monday, signalling a potential thaw in Washington-Beijing relations.View on euronews

China's Vice President Han Zheng and Elon Musk met on Sunday ahead of President-elect Trump's inauguration, per Chinese state media. Why it matters: Chinese leader Xi Jinping deployed his top envoy to attend Trump's inauguration in an unprecedented move following Trump's threats to impose major tariffs on China.

Chinese Vice President Han Zheng will attend Donald Trump's inauguration, marking a significant change as no senior Chinese official has previously done so. This visit aims to improve US-China relations amidst concerns over Trump's cabinet's stance on China.