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Beijing has taken a rare step by deciding to send a senior official to join Donald Trump's inauguration ceremony.
Chinese leader Xi Jinping may not have personally accepted US President-elect Donald Trump's invitation to his inauguration, but Chinese Vice President Han Zheng is expected to attend today's inauguration.
The dispatch of a high-profile official who has previously represented Xi at international events, including the coronation of Britain's King Charles III, signals Beijing's interest in a reset of strained relations between the US and China.
Han used the visit to meet with members of the American business community, including Tesla CEO and close Trump ally Elon Musk, according to Chinese state news agency Xinhua.
Musk is widely thought to be seen by Beijing as more sympathetic to its interests than others in Trump's orbit.
Sending Han to the inauguration sends the message that "China takes (Trump's) invitation seriously and is willing to take the risk," said Yun Sun, director of the China Program at the Stimson Center think tank in Washington.
During the Biden administration, Beijing balked at U.S. efforts to deepen security coordination with American allies in Asia, as well as the president's stated support for American defense of Taiwan, the self-governing island claimed by Beijing.
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