US President-elect Donald Trump has reportedly invited Chinese leader Xi Jinping to his January 20 inauguration ceremony. CBS News reported that Trump extended the invitation in early November, days after his Nov 5 election. It was not clear whether Jinping has accepted the invitation.

If Xi honours the invitation, he would become the first Chinese leader to attend the inauguration ceremony of an American president. According to records maintained by the State Department, the last time a foreign head of state attended the ceremony was in 1874. Normally, foreign dignitaries and diplomats attend the event and represent their respective countries.

According to reports, Trump plans to host several world leaders on the big day at the Capitol. Hungarian Prime Minister and longtime ally of Trump, Viktor Orban, is "still considering" whether to attend the inauguration, CBS reported.

According to a spokesperson for the Trump team, world leaders are lining up to have a word with the incoming president.

"World leaders are lining up to meet with President Trump because they know he will soon return to power and restore peace through American strength around the globe," Trump transition spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said.

Also read:&nbsp;<a data-ved="2ahUKEwiD2ZrqoaGKAxXxmq8BHR8pDggQxfQBKAB6BAgHEAE" href="https://www.wionews.com/world/2024-a-year-when-donald-trumps-victory-almost-cost-his-ear-783239" jsname="YKoRaf" ping="/url?sa=t&amp;source=web&amp;rct=j&amp;opi=89978449&amp;url=https://www.wionews.com/world/2024-a-year-when-donald-trumps-victory-almost-cost-his-ear-783239&amp;ved=2ahUKEwiD2ZrqoaGKAxXxmq8BHR8pDggQxfQBKAB6BAgHEAE">2024: A year when Donald Trump’s victory almost cost his ear</a>

It is to be noted that French President Emmanuel Macron has already hosted Trump at the Paris reopening of the Notre Dame Cathedral, along with Italy Prime Minister Georgia Meloni, Ukraine President Volodomyr Zelensky and Prince William. Canadian PM Justin Trudeau also held a meeting with Trump at Florida’s Mar-a-Lago to discuss tariffs.

During his election campaign, Trump said, “he shares a very strong relationship with Chinese leader Xi.” However, his selection of China-hawk leaders for his cabinet has raised concerns regarding trade relationship between the world’s two largest economies. On the issue of Taiwan, Trump has vowed to impose “150 per cent to 200 per cent” tariffs” if Beijing goes on to invade the island nation.

Also read:&nbsp;<a data-ved="2ahUKEwiD2ZrqoaGKAxXxmq8BHR8pDggQxfQBKAB6BAgNEAE" href="https://www.wionews.com/world/chandigarh-born-lawyer-harmeet-k-dhillon-tapped-by-trump-for-key-role-at-doj-782806" jsname="YKoRaf" ping="/url?sa=t&amp;source=web&amp;rct=j&amp;opi=89978449&amp;url=https://www.wionews.com/world/chandigarh-born-lawyer-harmeet-k-dhillon-tapped-by-trump-for-key-role-at-doj-782806&amp;ved=2ahUKEwiD2ZrqoaGKAxXxmq8BHR8pDggQxfQBKAB6BAgNEAE">India-born lawyer Harmeet K Dhillon tapped by Trump for key role at justice department</a>

Meanwhile, Reuters reported that China's top leaders and policymakers are considering allowing the Yuan to weaken in the new year in the face of tariff threats from Trump.

Watch:&nbsp;Trump’s Billion-Dollar Investment Pitch | WION Climate Change

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/trumps-billion-dollar-investment-pitch-wion-climate-change-world-news-783202/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

Shortly after the election, Trump announced plans to impose a 10 per cent universal import tariff, and a 60 per cent tariff on Chinese imports into the United States.

(With inputs from agencies)

US President-elect Donald Trump has reportedly invited Chinese leader Xi Jinping to his January 20 inauguration ceremony. CBS News reported that Trump extended the invitation in early November, days after his Nov 5 election.

US President-elect Donald Trump has reportedly invited Chinese leader Xi Jinping to his January 20 inauguration ceremony. CBS News reported that Trump extended the invitation in early November, days after his Nov 5 election. It was not clear whether Jinping has accepted the invitation. If Xi honours the invitation, he would become the first Chinese leader to attend the inauguration ceremony of an American president. According to records maintained by the State Department, the last time a foreign head of state attended the ceremony was in 1874. Normally, foreign dignitaries and diplomats attend the event and represent their respective countries. According to reports, Trump plans to host several world leaders on the big day at the Capitol. Hungarian Prime Minister and longtime ally of Trump, Viktor Orban, is "still considering" whether to attend the inauguration, CBS reported. According to a spokesperson for the Trump team, world leaders are lining up to have a word with the incoming president. "World leaders are lining up to meet with President Trump because they know he will soon return to power and restore peace through American strength around the globe," Trump transition spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said. Also read: 2024: A year when Donald Trump’s victory almost cost his ear It is to be noted that French President Emmanuel Macron has already hosted Trump at the Paris reopening of the Notre Dame Cathedral, along with Italy Prime Minister Georgia Meloni, Ukraine President Volodomyr Zelensky and Prince William. Canadian PM Justin Trudeau also held a meeting with Trump at Florida’s Mar-a-Lago to discuss tariffs. During his election campaign, Trump said, “he shares a very strong relationship with Chinese leader Xi.” However, his selection of China-hawk leaders for his cabinet has raised concerns regarding trade relationship between the world’s two largest economies. On the issue of Taiwan, Trump has vowed to impose “150 per cent to 200 per cent” tariffs” if Beijing goes on to invade the island nation. Also read: India-born lawyer Harmeet K Dhillon tapped by Trump for key role at justice department Meanwhile, Reuters reported that China's top leaders and policymakers are considering allowing the Yuan to weaken in the new year in the face of tariff threats from Trump. Watch: Trump’s Billion-Dollar Investment Pitch | WION Climate Change × Shortly after the election, Trump announced plans to impose a 10 per cent universal import tariff, and a 60 per cent tariff on Chinese imports into the United States. (With inputs from agencies)

Trump invites Xi to attend Jan 20 inauguration as Beijing braces for massive tariffs: Report

The death of former Chinese premier Li Keqiang triggered a wave of emotions on Chinese social media on Friday (Oct 27), with the related hashtag generating over 1 billion views on the social media platform Weibo.

According to the Chinese media, Li died of a heart attack, leaving behind a legacy of his market-oriented reforms and sometimes even those policies disputed by Chinese President Xi Jinping himself.

For him, ideology didn’t matter, pragmatism did. In a party dominated by engineers, he stood out as a renowned economist, ushering in an era of startling economic growth and impressive fiscal stability.

He was also super honest, best known for publicly acknowledging China’s economic problems and working to weed them out.

Naturally, he was not liked by Xi Jinping due to his bold, sometimes offensive (to Xi), way of dealing with things.

That’s why the Chinese government had little to say when it was asked to comment on Li’s death. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning asked reporters to refer to information from the official news agency Xinhua and the obituary to be released later.

BBC reported that the Chinese government had launched a crackdown on VPN use to prevent people from accessing too much information about the deceased leader.

They fear the mourning for the popular, liberal leader might snowball into a wave of criticism for the not-so-popular, not-so-liberal current leader Xi Jinping.

<h2>Differing priorities</h2>

Both Li and Xi had starkly different priorities in their minds. For Xi, ideology has been supreme. To eliminate his opposition and shore up his popularity amongst the top ranks of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), Xi Jinping initiated his “anti-corruption campaign” soon after taking the reins in 2012.

Hundreds of thousands of government and Communist Party officials at both the national and local levels were placed under investigation, detained or punished for corruption.

Li was least pleased with this campaign, as he thought of it as a major impediment to China’s economic ambitions.

Li noted that due to Xi’s heavy-handed approach, even honest and hard-working officials started avoiding fulfilling their duties while hoping to wait out the raging political storm.

Their rivalry became intense in 2016 when Li called out Xi’s policies in a public meeting of the Communist Party.&nbsp;

"We will improve oversight and accountability systems, root out incompetence, inertia, and negligence, and show zero tolerance for those who are on the government payroll but do not perform their duties," he had said in his March 5 speech. Many experts deemed his words were directed at none other than the supreme leader himself.

"Relations between Xi and Li have seriously soured," one political source in Beijing was quoted as saying by Nikkei Asia soon after this speech was given.

<h2>Open defiance of the Zero-Covid approach</h2>

The most recent tussle between the two top leaders of China came to the surface during the years of the COVID-19 pandemic.

He despised Xi Jinping’s Zero-Covid approach, mainly because it induced nothing but destruction into the Chinese economy. He couldn’t criticise Xi’s moves directly but didn’t spare any chance to highlight their ramifications for the Chinese economy.

Referring to the challenges brought in by Xi’s disastrous management, Li said in a&nbsp;May 2022 speech, “The difficulties, in some areas and to a certain degree, are even greater than the severe shock of the pandemic in 2020."

He added that there was a clear way forward, saying that "development is the basis and key to solving all problems in China". Development, not ideology.

Watch:&nbsp;China former Premier Li Keqiang dies of heart attack at age of 68

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/china-former-premier-li-keqiang-dies-of-heart-attack-at-age-of-68-651963/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

"To do a good job of epidemic prevention and control, we need financial and material resources. We need development to support stable employment, people's livelihoods and risk prevention," he said.

He would often go out and meet people without putting a mask on. Once he visited a university in Yunnan province, without a mask, and attended a function where none of the students were wearing masks.

This triggered a viral discussion on social media, with posts praising the premier.

Shockingly, some reports emerged that authorities were censoring the hashtag #PremierAtYunnanUniversity.

<h2>Massive support base</h2>

Xi Jinping always saw Li Keqiang as a major threat to his hold on power. He was backed by former President Hu Jintao’s faction and also the 90-million-member strong Communist Youth League.

Li always enjoyed support from the ‘intellectual wing’ of the CCP.

Xi, on the other hand, is backed by the 'princeling faction' and the 'second red generation'. Princelings are the children of prominent and influential senior party officials; the second red generation is a smaller group of children of revolutionary-era party leaders.

Li had been seen as Hu Jintao’s preferred successor as president about a decade ago. However, the need to balance party factions prompted the leadership to choose Xi.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/chinese-research-ship-shi-yan-6-docks-at-colombo-port-amid-india-us-concerns-651839">Also read:&nbsp;Chinese `research` ship Shi Yan 6 to remain at Colombo port till Oct 28 amid India, US concerns</a>

Last October, Li was shown the exit door from the Standing Committee at a party congress despite being more than two years below the informal retirement age of 70.

And now he is dead, just days after China fired its defence minister and foreign minister in mysterious circumstances.

As both China’s economy and Xi’s popularity kiss the ground, many Chinese think about where their country would have been, had Li taken the reins long back.

(With inputs from agencies)

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
WATCH WION LIVE HERE

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" loading="”lazy”" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

&nbsp;

The death of former Chinese premier Li Keqiang triggered a wave of emotions on Chinese social media on Friday (Oct 27), with the related hashtag generating over 1 billion views on the social media platform Weibo.

The death of former Chinese premier Li Keqiang triggered a wave of emotions on Chinese social media on Friday (Oct 27), with the related hashtag generating over 1 billion views on the social media platform Weibo. According to the Chinese media, Li died of a heart attack, leaving behind a legacy of his market-oriented reforms and sometimes even those policies disputed by Chinese President Xi Jinping himself. For him, ideology didn’t matter, pragmatism did. In a party dominated by engineers, he stood out as a renowned economist, ushering in an era of startling economic growth and impressive fiscal stability. He was also super honest, best known for publicly acknowledging China’s economic problems and working to weed them out. Naturally, he was not liked by Xi Jinping due to his bold, sometimes offensive (to Xi), way of dealing with things. That’s why the Chinese government had little to say when it was asked to comment on Li’s death. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning asked reporters to refer to information from the official news agency Xinhua and the obituary to be released later. BBC reported that the Chinese government had launched a crackdown on VPN use to prevent people from accessing too much information about the deceased leader. They fear the mourning for the popular, liberal leader might snowball into a wave of criticism for the not-so-popular, not-so-liberal current leader Xi Jinping. Differing priorities Both Li and Xi had starkly different priorities in their minds. For Xi, ideology has been supreme. To eliminate his opposition and shore up his popularity amongst the top ranks of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), Xi Jinping initiated his “anti-corruption campaign” soon after taking the reins in 2012. Hundreds of thousands of government and Communist Party officials at both the national and local levels were placed under investigation, detained or punished for corruption. Li was least pleased with this campaign, as he thought of it as a major impediment to China’s economic ambitions. Li noted that due to Xi’s heavy-handed approach, even honest and hard-working officials started avoiding fulfilling their duties while hoping to wait out the raging political storm. Their rivalry became intense in 2016 when Li called out Xi’s policies in a public meeting of the Communist Party. "We will improve oversight and accountability systems, root out incompetence, inertia, and negligence, and show zero tolerance for those who are on the government payroll but do not perform their duties," he had said in his March 5 speech. Many experts deemed his words were directed at none other than the supreme leader himself. "Relations between Xi and Li have seriously soured," one political source in Beijing was quoted as saying by Nikkei Asia soon after this speech was given. Open defiance of the Zero-Covid approach The most recent tussle between the two top leaders of China came to the surface during the years of the COVID-19 pandemic. He despised Xi Jinping’s Zero-Covid approach, mainly because it induced nothing but destruction into the Chinese economy. He couldn’t criticise Xi’s moves directly but didn’t spare any chance to highlight their ramifications for the Chinese economy. Referring to the challenges brought in by Xi’s disastrous management, Li said in a May 2022 speech, “The difficulties, in some areas and to a certain degree, are even greater than the severe shock of the pandemic in 2020." He added that there was a clear way forward, saying that "development is the basis and key to solving all problems in China". Development, not ideology. Watch: China former Premier Li Keqiang dies of heart attack at age of 68 × "To do a good job of epidemic prevention and control, we need financial and material resources. We need development to support stable employment, people's livelihoods and risk prevention," he said. He would often go out and meet people without putting a mask on. Once he visited a university in Yunnan province, without a mask, and attended a function where none of the students were wearing masks. This triggered a viral discussion on social media, with posts praising the premier. Shockingly, some reports emerged that authorities were censoring the hashtag #PremierAtYunnanUniversity. Massive support base Xi Jinping always saw Li Keqiang as a major threat to his hold on power. He was backed by former President Hu Jintao’s faction and also the 90-million-member strong Communist Youth League. Li always enjoyed support from the ‘intellectual wing’ of the CCP. Xi, on the other hand, is backed by the 'princeling faction' and the 'second red generation'. Princelings are the children of prominent and influential senior party officials; the second red generation is a smaller group of children of revolutionary-era party leaders. Li had been seen as Hu Jintao’s preferred successor as president about a decade ago. However, the need to balance party factions prompted the leadership to choose Xi. Also read: Chinese `research` ship Shi Yan 6 to remain at Colombo port till Oct 28 amid India, US concerns Last October, Li was shown the exit door from the Standing Committee at a party congress despite being more than two years below the informal retirement age of 70. And now he is dead, just days after China fired its defence minister and foreign minister in mysterious circumstances. As both China’s economy and Xi’s popularity kiss the ground, many Chinese think about where their country would have been, had Li taken the reins long back. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

Explained: Why ex-premier Li Keqiang’s death could spur anti-Xi campaign in China

President Xi Jinping arrived in Pyongyang on Thursday on a historic trip to reboot a troubled alliance, as he and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un face their own challenges with US President Donald Trump.

Xi is the first Chinese president to visit North Korea in 14 years after relations between the Cold War era allies deteriorated over Pyongyang's nuclear provocations and Beijing's subsequent backing of UN sanctions.

Xi and Kim have been working to repair ties, with the young North Korean leader visiting his older ally four times in China in the past year and Beijing calling for sanctions to be relaxed.

But the Chinese leader waited to reciprocate the visit, biding his time to see how nuclear talks between Kim and Trump would play out before deciding to travel to Pyongyang, according to analysts.

Xi, who will pay a two-day state visit, arrived in North Korea late Thursday morning, China's CCTV said.

He is visiting with his wife Peng Liyuan, Foreign Minister Wang Yi, and other officials, according to Chinese state media.

In Pyongyang, Chinese flags hung throughout the city and residents have lined the streets to welcome Xi.

The Rodong Sinmun newspaper, the mouthpiece of the ruling party, devoted the top half of its front page to Xi's visit, with a colour picture of him accompanying a profile.

In an editorial, it said his trip will "engrave a new, enduring page in the history of DPRK-China friendship".

"The visit to our country that comes despite the emergence of urgent and important tasks due to complex international relations clearly shows that the Chinese party and government are putting high importance on the DPRK-China friendship," it went on.

"Our people are proud of having a trustworthy and close friend like the Chinese people."

Authorities have imposed tight control on coverage of the visit. International journalists in Pyongyang were told they would not be able to cover it, while foreign media organisations that were initially invited to attend were unable to obtain visas.

Sources say the Chinese media delegation accompanying Xi was also reduced in size from initial plans.

The visit will be largely symbolic, with no formal joint communique expected -- as was the case with Kim's April summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Vladivostok, Russia.

Analysts say the trip is a chance for China to showcase its influence in the region.

"For North Korea, the coming meeting will serve to show the US that China has its back and to send a message to Washington it should stop its maximum pressure posture," said Lim Eul-Chul, professor of North Korean studies at Kyungnam University.

Negotiations between Trump and Kim soured after the second summit in February broke up without a deal, with the two men failing to agree on what Pyongyang would be willing to give up in exchange for sanctions relief.

But Chinese state news agency Xinhua in a commentary published Thursday said "hope remains alive and kicking" on resolving the nuclear standoff.

In a rare opinion piece published in Rodong Sinmun on Wednesday, Xi hailed the "irreplaceable" friendship between North Korea and China and offered a "grand plan" to bring permanent stability to East Asia.

He also vowed that Beijing would play an active role in "strengthening communication and coordination with North Korea and other relevant parties" to push forward negotiations on the Korean Peninsula.

After Beijing's own trade negotiations with Washington hit a wall last month, some analysts believe Xi could come back from Pyongyang with leverage for his meeting with Trump at the G20 summit in Japan next week.

But Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang has dismissed the suggestion that Beijing's close ties with Pyongyang could be used to pressure the US, saying "people with such an idea are just over-thinking".

China sees the North as a strategic buffer from South Korea, keeping the 28,500 US troops in South Korea far from its borders, and Xi's trip will include a visit to pay homage at Pyongyang's Friendship Tower, a monument to the Chinese troops who saved the North from defeat during the Korean War.

In recent days, soldiers and workers have been sprucing it up before the visit.

Beijing has fretted over being sidelined after the North Korean leader agreed to meet Trump last year, with the US leader going as far as declaring he had fallen "in love" with Kim.

And experts said Xi's editorial was a not-so-subtle reminder that Beijing remains Pyongyang's closest ally.

Zhao Tong, North Korea expert at the Carnegie Tsinghua Center think tank in Beijing, said he does not expect any "substantive discussions" on denuclearisation during the meeting, because "China and North Korea do not have enough mutual trust".

President Xi Jinping arrived in Pyongyang on Thursday on a historic trip to reboot a troubled alliance, as he and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un face their own challenges with US President Donald Trump.

President Xi Jinping arrived in Pyongyang on Thursday on a historic trip to reboot a troubled alliance, as he and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un face their own challenges with US President Donald Trump. Xi is the first Chinese president to visit North Korea in 14 years after relations between the Cold War era allies deteriorated over Pyongyang's nuclear provocations and Beijing's subsequent backing of UN sanctions. Xi and Kim have been working to repair ties, with the young North Korean leader visiting his older ally four times in China in the past year and Beijing calling for sanctions to be relaxed. But the Chinese leader waited to reciprocate the visit, biding his time to see how nuclear talks between Kim and Trump would play out before deciding to travel to Pyongyang, according to analysts. Xi, who will pay a two-day state visit, arrived in North Korea late Thursday morning, China's CCTV said. He is visiting with his wife Peng Liyuan, Foreign Minister Wang Yi, and other officials, according to Chinese state media. In Pyongyang, Chinese flags hung throughout the city and residents have lined the streets to welcome Xi. The Rodong Sinmun newspaper, the mouthpiece of the ruling party, devoted the top half of its front page to Xi's visit, with a colour picture of him accompanying a profile. In an editorial, it said his trip will "engrave a new, enduring page in the history of DPRK-China friendship". "The visit to our country that comes despite the emergence of urgent and important tasks due to complex international relations clearly shows that the Chinese party and government are putting high importance on the DPRK-China friendship," it went on. "Our people are proud of having a trustworthy and close friend like the Chinese people." Authorities have imposed tight control on coverage of the visit. International journalists in Pyongyang were told they would not be able to cover it, while foreign media organisations that were initially invited to attend were unable to obtain visas. Sources say the Chinese media delegation accompanying Xi was also reduced in size from initial plans. The visit will be largely symbolic, with no formal joint communique expected -- as was the case with Kim's April summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Vladivostok, Russia. Analysts say the trip is a chance for China to showcase its influence in the region. "For North Korea, the coming meeting will serve to show the US that China has its back and to send a message to Washington it should stop its maximum pressure posture," said Lim Eul-Chul, professor of North Korean studies at Kyungnam University. Negotiations between Trump and Kim soured after the second summit in February broke up without a deal, with the two men failing to agree on what Pyongyang would be willing to give up in exchange for sanctions relief. But Chinese state news agency Xinhua in a commentary published Thursday said "hope remains alive and kicking" on resolving the nuclear standoff. In a rare opinion piece published in Rodong Sinmun on Wednesday, Xi hailed the "irreplaceable" friendship between North Korea and China and offered a "grand plan" to bring permanent stability to East Asia. He also vowed that Beijing would play an active role in "strengthening communication and coordination with North Korea and other relevant parties" to push forward negotiations on the Korean Peninsula. After Beijing's own trade negotiations with Washington hit a wall last month, some analysts believe Xi could come back from Pyongyang with leverage for his meeting with Trump at the G20 summit in Japan next week. But Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang has dismissed the suggestion that Beijing's close ties with Pyongyang could be used to pressure the US, saying "people with such an idea are just over-thinking". China sees the North as a strategic buffer from South Korea, keeping the 28,500 US troops in South Korea far from its borders, and Xi's trip will include a visit to pay homage at Pyongyang's Friendship Tower, a monument to the Chinese troops who saved the North from defeat during the Korean War. In recent days, soldiers and workers have been sprucing it up before the visit. Beijing has fretted over being sidelined after the North Korean leader agreed to meet Trump last year, with the US leader going as far as declaring he had fallen "in love" with Kim. And experts said Xi's editorial was a not-so-subtle reminder that Beijing remains Pyongyang's closest ally. Zhao Tong, North Korea expert at the Carnegie Tsinghua Center think tank in Beijing, said he does not expect any "substantive discussions" on denuclearisation during the meeting, because "China and North Korea do not have enough mutual trust".

Xi Jinping first Chinese leader to visit North Korea in 14 years, to meet Kim ahead of Trump talks

US President Donald Trump raised eyebrows on Wednesday by congratulating Chinese leader Xi Jinping for securing a &quot;great political victory&quot; in a Communist Party congress ahead of their meetings in Beijing.

Trump has lavished Xi with praise since the Chinese president consolidated power at the conclave last month as the two leaders prepare for difficult talks on trade and North Korea.

Trump, who was in Seoul on a two-day visit, tweeted he would then travel to China where &quot;I very much look forward to meeting with President Xi who is just off his great political victory&quot;.

Trump&#39;s description of Xi&#39;s elevation at the congress where the Chinese leader was reappointed to a second term as general secretary in a closed-door vote&nbsp;sparked a flurry of comments on Twitter on China&#39;s status as a one-party state.

Ely Ratner, an ex-adviser to former US vice president Joe Biden, tweeted that it was a &quot;straight up repudiation of American values and interests&quot;.

But analysts said Trump&#39;s praise of Xi is an attempt to mollify the Chinese leader ahead of complicated talks on China&#39;s massive trade surplus with the United States and Beijing&#39;s economic ties to North Korea.

&quot;It&#39;s not representative of a normal president of a powerful democratic country,&quot; Jean-Pierre Cabestan, China politics specialist at Hong Kong Baptist University, said.

&quot;He&#39;s laying it on thick to put Xi in a good mood because he will have unpleasant things to tell him,&quot; Cabestan said.

In turn, Xi has also called Trump a friend in the past and is preparing a &quot;state visit-plus&quot; for the US leader, treating him to a lavish reception with a visit to the Forbidden City, a military honour guard and a banquet during his visit to Beijing.

China&#39;s welcome follows the red-carpet treatment that Trump received in Japan and South Korea during his tour of Asia.

&quot;We&#39;re in a sort of situation where each of the leaders and Trump himself are both sort of trying to curry favour with the other,&quot; Orville Schell, an expert on US-China relations at the Asia Society, said.

By praising Xi, Trump is &quot;trying to set up a congenial atmosphere&quot;, Schell said.

&quot;Trump lives in a world where everything is either a victory or defeat,&quot; he said.

&quot;So to call something like this a victory for Xi is the highest form of flattery.&quot;

Trump has lavished praised on other controversial leaders in the past, such as Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

&quot;He does have a natural predilection for sort of get-it-done, big leaders,&quot; Schell said.

US President Donald Trump raised eyebrows on Wednesday by congratulating Chinese leader Xi Jinping for securing a 'great political victory' in a Communist Party congress ahead of their meetings in Beijing

US President Donald Trump raised eyebrows on Wednesday by congratulating Chinese leader Xi Jinping for securing a "great political victory" in a Communist Party congress ahead of their meetings in Beijing. Trump has lavished Xi with praise since the Chinese president consolidated power at the conclave last month as the two leaders prepare for difficult talks on trade and North Korea. Trump, who was in Seoul on a two-day visit, tweeted he would then travel to China where "I very much look forward to meeting with President Xi who is just off his great political victory". Trump's description of Xi's elevation at the congress where the Chinese leader was reappointed to a second term as general secretary in a closed-door vote sparked a flurry of comments on Twitter on China's status as a one-party state. Ely Ratner, an ex-adviser to former US vice president Joe Biden, tweeted that it was a "straight up repudiation of American values and interests". But analysts said Trump's praise of Xi is an attempt to mollify the Chinese leader ahead of complicated talks on China's massive trade surplus with the United States and Beijing's economic ties to North Korea. "It's not representative of a normal president of a powerful democratic country," Jean-Pierre Cabestan, China politics specialist at Hong Kong Baptist University, said. "He's laying it on thick to put Xi in a good mood because he will have unpleasant things to tell him," Cabestan said. In turn, Xi has also called Trump a friend in the past and is preparing a "state visit-plus" for the US leader, treating him to a lavish reception with a visit to the Forbidden City, a military honour guard and a banquet during his visit to Beijing. China's welcome follows the red-carpet treatment that Trump received in Japan and South Korea during his tour of Asia. "We're in a sort of situation where each of the leaders and Trump himself are both sort of trying to curry favour with the other," Orville Schell, an expert on US-China relations at the Asia Society, said. By praising Xi, Trump is "trying to set up a congenial atmosphere", Schell said. "Trump lives in a world where everything is either a victory or defeat," he said. "So to call something like this a victory for Xi is the highest form of flattery." Trump has lavished praised on other controversial leaders in the past, such as Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Russian President Vladimir Putin. "He does have a natural predilection for sort of get-it-done, big leaders," Schell said.

Trump steps up praise for Xi ahead of China visit