According to sources, Mr. Trump sent an invitation to Mr. Xi Jinping in early November, shortly after the election. However, it is not yet clear whether Mr. Xi has accepted the invitation.

In an interview with NBC News on December 6, Mr. Trump said he “gets along very well” with Mr. Xi Jinping and that they “just spoke this week.” It would be unprecedented for a leader of China, America’s top geopolitical rival, to attend the inauguration of a US president.

In addition to Xi, the president-elect’s team is considering inviting other leaders to the swearing-in ceremony at the Capitol on January 20. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, a far-right leader with close ties to Trump who visited him at Mar-a-Lago last week, is said to be “still considering” attending, according to a person familiar with the matter.

"World leaders want to see Donald Trump because they know he is coming back to power and restoring peace through American power on the world stage," said Karoline Leavitt, a spokeswoman for Trump's transition team.

Normally, ambassadors and international diplomats are invited to the inauguration. However, US State Department records dating back to 1874 show that no foreign leader has ever attended the transfer of power.

Mr. Trump has long believed that close relationships between leaders are key to reaching international agreements. After Election Day, many world leaders traveled to Mar-a-Lago to meet with Mr. Trump, including Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Argentine President Javier Milei also had a private audience with the president-elect.

Ngoc Anh (according to CBS News, Reuters)