Chinese Vice President Han Zheng is the highest-level Chinese state official to attend President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration on Monday.

China’s Vice President Han Zheng touched down in the U.S. as President Xi Jinping’s special representative and quickly made new friends in President-elect Donald’s Trump’s “first buddy” Elon Musk on Sunday,

Mr Han said US firms were welcome in China during the sit-down in Washington with Mr Musk. Read more at straitstimes.com.

On the same day, Han had a separate meeting with Elon Musk, a close ally of Trump who also has a strong link with China thanks to his business interests there. Musk and Han discussed issues including trade and investment,

China’s vice president held meetings with the U.S. vice president-elect and U.S. business leaders, including Elon Musk, in Washington on the eve of Donald Trump’s inauguration, as the two major powers tackle ongoing tensions over trade and technology.

Chinese officials and ordinary people are hopeful but on edge as Donald Trump returns to the White House, eager to avoid a repeat of the bruising trade war that drove a wedge between the economic superpowers during his first term.

Elon Musk has objected to a lack of reciprocity in the US-China tech relationship, a rare criticism from the billionaire on issues sensitive to Beijing after US president-elect Donald Trump prepared to offer a reprieve to TikTok on a ban in the US.

Han has used the visit to meet with members of the American business community, including Tesla CEO and close Trump associate Elon Musk, according to Chinese state agency Xinhua. Musk is widely thought to be seen by Beijing as more sympathetic to its interests than others in Trump’s orbit.

China's Vice President Han Zheng met with Tesla CEO Elon Musk and other U.S. business leaders in Washington D.C. Han encouraged collaboration, inviting Tesla and U.S. firms to engage with China's economic growth.

Live updates ahead of Donald Trump’s inauguration. Follow the latest news as the incoming president attends events ahead of tomorrow’s ceremony.

Good start, stable development of China-US relations to serve well-being of Chinese and American people, Han Zheng tells American businesses - Anadolu Ajansı

Chinese leader Xi Jinping may not have personally accepted US President-elect Donald Trump’s invitation to his inauguration, but Beijing has taken the rare step of dispatching a top official to join the swearing-in ceremony in Washington.