China's foreign ministry on Thursday announced that the country's vice president would attend President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration next week instead of Chinese President Xi Jinping. 

Trump initially invited Xi to the inauguration, which will feature other world leaders or their representatives, but was rejected last month. He promised to send a high-ranking official in his stead, but China's Vice President Han Zheng is considered more of a figurehead. 

“At U.S. invitation, President Xi Jinping’s special representative, Vice President Han Zheng, will attend the inauguration ceremony of President Donald Trump on January 20 in Washington, D.C.,” the spokesperson for the foreign ministry said in a statement. “China follows the principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation in viewing and growing its relationship with the United States.”

Xi was also reportedly considering sending Foreign Minister Wang Yi to the inauguration, which could have allowed Trump's new foreign policy team to begin building its relationship with the global superpower, according to Politico.

The move comes as the future of the Washington-Beijing relationship remains unclear. Trump threatened to impose a 10% tariff on all imported goods from China in November, and the Biden administration recently increased export restrictions designed to reduce the flow of AI-related computer chips into the Asian country.

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.