HONG KONG - China will send Vice President Han Zheng to attend President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration in Washington, state media reported on Friday, marking the first time a senior Chinese leader has attended the swearing-in of a new U.S. president.

We are willing to strengthen dialogue and communication with the new US government, properly manage differences, expand mutually beneficial cooperation, jointly promote the stable, healthy and sustainable development of Sino-US relations, and find a way out for Sino-US relations. In a statement announcing Han Kuo-yu's trip, China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Han Kuo-yu would sometimes fill ceremonial duties in place of Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Representatives from the Trump campaign and the Chinese Embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to NBC News' requests for comment.

The Trump transition team said last month it invited Xi to the event, a highly unusual move that experts said was largely a symbolic gesture. Foreign heads of state typically do not attend U.S. presidential inaugurations, instead sending diplomats or other senior officials to attend.

The United States has had a tumultuous relationship with its top geopolitical rival, China, in recent years, with the two countries clashing over a range of issues including technology, trade, human rights and the status of Taiwan. But in the estimation of outgoing U.S. envoy to China Joe Biden, Sino-U.S. relations have stabilized during his administration after reaching their lowest point in decades.

Trump has long touted his relationship with Xi, calling him "brilliant" and praising him as a strong leader. China has become more authoritarian since Xi Jinping came to power more than a decade ago and is currently serving a rare third consecutive term.

"I predict, I think we'll probably get along very well. But you know, it's got to be a two-way street," Trump told conservative talk show host Hugh Hewitt this month, accusing China of economic "Blackmail" the United States.

Trump told Hewitt that he and Xi had a "good relationship" until the final year of his first term, when Trump criticized Beijing's handling of the Covid-19 pandemic outbreak.

The president-elect also said he and Xi Jinping have been speaking through representatives. China's Foreign Ministry did not confirm any communication between Trump and Xi Jinping's aides, but said China and the United States have been in contact in various ways.

Trump has named a number of China hardliners to his Cabinet, including Secretary of State nominee Marco Rubio, R-Fla., who has been criticized for his criticism of a crackdown on dissent in the Chinese territory of Hong Kong. sanctions from the Chinese government. hole.

Economic experts say the "trade war" that saw Beijing and Washington impose a series of retaliatory tariffs on each other during Trump's first term is likely to worsen under his new administration.

During the presidential campaign, Trump vowed to impose tariffs of 60% or higher on all Chinese imports, and after his election he said he would target China unless it stopped the international flow of chemicals that are precursors to deadly opioids. Fentanyl is subject to an additional 10% tariff.

Trump also expressed opposition to a pending ban on TikTok after backing a law that would require its Chinese parent to divest its U.S. operations over national security concerns. TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew is among the tech leaders expected to attend the inauguration on Monday, a day after the ban takes effect.