MK sportsinauguration ceremony as JD Vance and Joe Biden look on in the Rotunda of the US Capitol on January 20, 2025 in Washington, DC. Donald Trump takes office for his second term as the 47th president of the US, becoming the second president to serve nonconsecutive terms. Photo: VCG" src="https://www.globaltimes.cn/Portals/0/attachment/2025/2025-01-21/219ac1eb-efbe-441a-b98b-cbe77a9a747a.jpeg" />

Donald Trump arrives for his inauguration ceremony as JD Vance and Joe Biden look on in the Rotunda of the US Capitol on January 20, 2025 in Washington, DC. Donald Trump takes office for his second term as the 47th president of the US, becoming the second president to serve nonconsecutive terms. Photo: VCG

Donald Trump was sworn in as the 47th US president on Monday, becoming the second president to serve nonconsecutive terms. According to the NBC News, Trump plans to sign more than 50 executive orders - and possibly more than 100 - on the first day of his second presidency.

Trump and Biden arrived at the US Capitol for the inauguration after riding together in a limo from the White House, CNN reported. Trump's inauguration took place indoors due to dangerously cold temperatures in Washington on Monday. The media said it will likely be the coldest Inauguration Day since 1985. 

Trump was sworn in at the Capitol Rotunda by Chief Justice John Roberts.

Throngs of Trump supporters who descended on the city to watch the inaugural ceremony on the West Front of the Capitol from the National Mall would be left to find somewhere else to view the festivities, the AP said. 

The guest list included political leaders, former presidents and influential billionaires, including Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos. The Clintons, the Bushes and the Bidens also attended the inauguration ceremony, along with former president Barack Obama.

Future ties

Before Trump's inauguration, Chinese Vice President Han Zheng, who is set to attend Trump's inauguration ceremony on Monday as Chinese President Xi Jinping's special representative, met with JD Vance on Sunday local time.

During his meeting with Vance, Han first conveyed Xi's greetings to Trump and congratulated Vance on his election.

Han said that China is ready to work with the US to adhere to the strategic guidance of the head-of-state diplomacy and follow through on the important consensus reached between Xi and Trump, so as to push for the steady, healthy and sustainable development of bilateral ties.

He noted that Xi recently had an important phone call with Trump, during which the two leaders reached many important consensuses on the development of China-US relations in the next stage.

Noting that China and the US are both great countries, and that the Chinese and the Americans are both great people, Han said that the two sides are currently working hard to achieve their respective development goals and dreams.

As long as the two sides uphold the principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation, they will contribute to each other's progress, bring benefits to the two countries, and make important contributions to world peace and development, said Han.

Economic and trade relations are important issues of common concern to both sides, he noted.

Despite differences and frictions between China and the US, they share huge common interests and space for cooperation, and the two sides can strengthen dialogue and consultation in this regard, Han added.

For his part, Vance asked Han to convey Trump's sincere greetings to Xi. Vance said Trump had a phone call with Xi a few days ago, in which they had good communication on important issues regarding bilateral ties. Economic and trade relations, he stressed, are important to both the US and China.

Noting that China is playing an increasingly important role in international affairs, Vance told Han that the US is willing to develop an enduring and fruitful relationship with China, strengthen dialogue and cooperation with China on international and regional issues, and jointly promote world peace and stability.

Learn from the past

"Trump is now becoming much more sophisticated compared to his first term when handling foreign affairs, especially on China-US relations, the most significant but also complex and sensitive bilateral relationship on the planet," Lü Xiang, an expert on US studies and research fellow at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times.

Trump has told advisers he wants to travel to China after he takes office, the Wall Street Journal reported, quoting people familiar with the discussions. Trump has expressed interest in traveling to China in his first 100 days in office, the report said.

In response, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Monday that "China stands ready to work with the new administration of the US, under the strategic guidance of the presidents of the two countries and in the principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation, to maintain communication, enhance cooperation, properly manage and control differences and secure greater progress in China-US relations from a new starting point."

In addition to media report on Trump's plan to visit China, Trump is also seeking a solution to maintain Tik Tok in America. "This is a positive signal, and we can cautiously expect that, at least in the early part of his term, Trump administration will make efforts to not only stabilize but also develop ties with China," he noted. 

Diao Daming, a professor at the Renmin University of China in Beijing, said the phone call between Xi and Trump on Friday, which took place a few days ahead of the latter's inauguration, as well as the attendance of the Chinese vice president at the inauguration ceremony of the US president, are all unprecedented activities in the interactions between the two great powers.

"This proves that China and the US are able to stabilize bilateral ties. The Trump administration should recognize that cooperation will benefit both sides while conflict and struggle will make both sides suffer," Diao said. 

Trump will be put under very limited pressure from the opposition Democrats in the Congress, so he will have more space for making decisions on policies about China than in his first term, Lü said.

It would be unrealistic to expect all problems to be removed in China-US ties, and to what extent the Trump administration can fix ties is a question that requires long-term cautious observation, and the international community, including China, will pay close attention to and prepare for changes that Trump may bring to the US, Li Haidong, a professor at the China Foreign Affairs University, told the Global Times.