China Trump invited Xi to his inauguration in January

Republican Donald Trump has invited China's head of state Xi Jinping to his swearing-in as US President in January.

This was announced by Trump's spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt in an interview with Fox News, confirming reports by several US media outlets.

"This is an example of President Trump having an open dialog with leaders of countries that are not only our allies, but also our adversaries and competitors," said Leavitt, explaining her decision.

When asked, she left open whether Xi has accepted the invitation and actually plans to travel to the ceremony in the US capital Washington on January 20.

Heads of state and government from other countries have also been invited, Leavitt continued, without giving details. "We'll see who shows up."

Relations between the US and China have long been strained, partly due to a tough trade conflict that Trump started during his first term in office (2017 to 2021) - by imposing high tariffs on Chinese imports.