Asia sends top officials to Trump inauguration amid concern over trade, security

Donald Trump discussed trade and Taiwan in a call with Chinese leader Xi Jinping days before swearing-in.
RFA staff
2025.01.20
Asia sends top officials to Trump inauguration amid concern over trade, security U.S. President-elect Donald Trump reacts during a victory rally at Capital One Arena in Washington, Jan. 19, 2025.
Jim Watson/AFP

Senior representatives of the world’s second and third largest economies are attending Monday’s presidential inauguration of Donald Trump, reflecting the importance China and Japan place on good relations with the world’s biggest economy.

Trump’s return to power for a second term raises fundamental questions in Asia, in particular the extent he will follow through on his promise to ramp up tariffs and his commitment to the security of old allies in an increasingly dangerous world.

The Trump team invited Chinese President Xi Jinping to Washington for the inauguration, but Vice President Han Zheng is taking his place. Japan sent Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya, the first time its top diplomat will be at a ceremony normally attended by its ambassador.

Nazri Aziz, the Malaysian ambassador to the United States, said he expects to represent his country.

“I will be attending the inauguration at Capitol Hill for the swearing-in ceremony. It’s common practice for all countries’ envoys to be invited, instead of their leaders – though some leaders may attend, not all do,” he told BenarNews.

Xi talked with Trump in a Friday phone call and stressed that their two countries were pursuing their dreams, with both committed to a better life for their people, China’s foreign ministry said.

“President Xi expressed his readiness to secure greater progress in China-U.S. relations from a new starting point,” it said in a statement on the talks.

“Given the extensive common interests and broad space of cooperation between the two countries, China and the United States can become partners and friends, contribute to each other’s success, and advance shared prosperity for the good of the two countries and the whole world,” the ministry cited Xi as saying.

While Beijing is keen to engage with Trump and talk down his threats of 60% tariffs on Chinese goods, Trump’s pre-inauguration talk of taking control of Greenland and the Panama Canal has triggered a wave of speculation in Chinese social media that he may be willing to let China take control of democratically ruled Taiwan.

In Friday’s talk with Trump, Xi repeated that the Taiwan issue was “a red line that China cannot allow to be challenged,” according to state media.

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U.S. Vice President-elect J.D. Vance (right) meets with Chinese Vice President Han Zheng in Washington, Jan. 19, 2025. [X: Chinese Ambassador Xie Feng]

China’s Vice President Han met with U.S. Vice President-elect J.D. Vance and business leaders, including Tesla CEO Elon Musk, in Washington on Sunday with Han stressing “extensive common interests” despite “some disagreements and frictions,” the Chinese ministry said.

Taiwan’s delegation led by the speaker of the legislature, Han Kuo-yu, will not be able to attend the inauguration “due to space constraints” in the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol, where the ceremony will be held because of cold weather, Taiwan’s Central News Agency reported on Monday.

Old alliances

During his first term, Trump called for old allies Japan and South Korea to both pay more for the U.S. troops stationed in those countries, raising questions about the decades-old U.S. commitment to their security.

Both allies will be watching for signs the Trump administration will champion regional alliances, such as the trilateral agreement forged among the U.S., Japan and South Korea during the Biden administration, to counter the threat of China and North Korea.

Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said the fact that Takeshi Iwaya would be his country’s first foreign minister to attend a U.S. presidential inauguration was a sign that the new Trump administration values its relationship with Japan.


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“I would like to use this as an opportunity to firmly build a relationship of trust,” Hayashi told reporters on Monday. “The Japan-U.S. alliance will continue to be the cornerstone of our country’s foreign and security policy.”

He reiterated the need for an early Japan-U.S. summit meeting.

On Sunday, Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said he was coordinating a schedule for his first summit meeting with Trump, without mentioning a timeline.

“We must speak independently and embody the national interest in terms of what role Japan will play in foreign policy, including security, economy, and Ukraine,” he said.

Korean ‘turning point’?

South Korea’s ruling People’s Party of Korea expressed its hope that the alliance with the U.S. would grow even stronger under Trump.

“I hope that this will be a new turning point for strengthening the ROK-U.S. alliance and peace on the Korean peninsula,” Kwon Sung-dong, the floor leader of the National Assembly, said in a congratulatory message to Trump on Monday, referring to South Korea by its official name, the Republic of Korea.

During his first term, Trump held three rounds of talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. While he failed to achieve any progress in persuading Kim to abandon his nuclear and missile programs, South Korea’s spy agency has speculated that Trump could make a small step forward if he were to meet the Korean leader again.

Reported by Radio Free Asia, a news service affiliated with BenarNews.

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