Envoy says Trump invited China's Xi to his inauguration

Philippine Ambassador to the United States Jose Manuel Romualdez said Thursday that US President-elect Donald Trump had invited Chinese President Xi Jinping to his inauguration on January 20.

In an interview on Super Radyo dzBB, Romualdez said the invitation was informal.

''So 'yung mga inimbita ni President Trump, very ano siya eh, very informal naman 'yun, inimbita niya si President Xi... tumawag sa kanya si Hungarian President so it's very informal... ngayon sinabi niya in an interview kung gusto nilang dumating, dumating sila,'' Romualdez said.

(President Trump's invitation to President Xi was very informal... he called the Hungarian President so it's very informal... he said in an interview that if they wanted to attend then they should.)

The Philippine envoy stressed that there has been no formal invitation for heads of states to attend Trump's inauguration.

Romualdez earlier said only ambassadors represented in Washington are invited to the event as a matter of policy.

GMA News Online reached the US and Chinese embassies in Manila for further details on Trump's supposed invitation to the Chinese leader. Both offices have yet to reply as of posting time.

To recall, Xi had called for "stable, healthy and sustainable" ties between Beijing and Washington in a message to Trump after winning the polls.

Trump is making a White House comeback after defeating US Vice President Kamala Harris for the US presidency in the November polls.

Earlier, Romualdez was asked if President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. was invited to Trump’s inauguration, the diplomat replied, “As a matter of policy, no head of state is invited.”

“Only ambassadors represented in Washington are invited,” he said.

Romualdez said he will attend Trump's inauguration.—RF, GMA Integrated News