Chinese President Xi Jinping will not attend Donald Trump's inauguration, but he has sent Vice President Han Zheng as his special representative.

The foreign ministry announced the decision in China on Friday, more than a month after Trump extended an unusual invitation to Xi, breaking with tradition as no head of state has ever made an official inauguration visit to the United States.

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 China-US relations, and find a correct way for the two countries to get along with each other. a spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in announcing the decision.

Other foreign leaders have said they would be invited to Trump's inauguration, including Argentine President Javier Milley and Italian Prime Minister Giorgio Meloni. The offices of Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa and Paraguayan President Santiago Pena also said they were invited and planned to attend.

Sun Yun, director of the China Program at the Stimson Center, a think tank in Washington, said Xi's move means "China is willing to abandon etiquette and cater to Trump's demands."

"This shows that China is willing to dialogue, negotiate and work hard to reach an agreement," Sun wrote.

Danny Russell, associate dean for international security and diplomacy at the Asia Society Policy Institute, said Beijing sent South Korea instead of Xi as a hedge.

"There is zero chance that Xi Jinping will make himself a potted plant during Donald Trump's triumphal coronation. In the meantime, make sure China is courteous enough to avoid hurting Trump's ego," Russell wrote. The former U.S. diplomat said South Korea's mission was "symbolic, not substantive."

South Korea's dispatch comes at a time when competition between the United States and China is about to intensify. Several of Trump's nominees for key cabinet positions are known China hawks, including Florida Senator Marco Rubio, who was nominated for secretary of state.

Rubio called China "the most powerful, most dangerous, closest adversary this country has ever faced" during his confirmation hearing on Wednesday, when members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee urged Rubio to make confronting China a top priority.

Beijing prefers leaders-level talks, believing it helps guide bilateral relations, while Trump prefers to deal directly with world leaders.

As president, Xi Jinping has traveled abroad for state visits and summits. But he did not attend the coronation of King Charles III, the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II or the memorial service of Nelson Mandela.