US President-elect Donald Trump has invited Chinese President Xi Jinping to his inauguration ceremony on January 20. This comes as Trump has appointed hardliners on China to key posts in his administration.

Trump took the stage at the New York Stock Exchange on Thursday after being named "Person of the Year" by Time Magazine. When asked by reporters about Xi's invitation to Washington, he said the two enjoy a "very good relationship."

Trump's incoming press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, confirmed the invitation in an interview on Fox News. She called the decision an example of "creating an open dialogue with leaders of countries that are not just our allies but our adversaries and our competitors, too."

She said that it is not yet "determined" whether Xi will accept the invitation, and she added that they have invited other world leaders but did not name them.

CBS News reports that State Department records show a foreign leader has never attended an inauguration ceremony.