China invites Ivanka Trump, Jared Kushner to Beijing later this year
China has invited President Trump's daughter and adviser Ivanka Trump along with her husband and White House Senior Adviser Jared Kushner to visit Beijing later this year, according to a White House official.
It's not clear whether the two would accept the invitation. The trip would be in the fall.
The official commented Tuesday on condition of anonymity because nothing has been formally announced.
A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman says he noted reports of the invitation but was unaware of the specifics.
The invitation from China underscores the influential roles that Kushner and Ivanka Trump hold in Mr. Trump's administration, including in matters of foreign policy.
On Tuesday, Mr. Trump offered thanks to Chinese President Xi Jinping on Twitter for the government's efforts in establishing dialogue with the North Koreans in the wake of the death of U.S. student Otto Warmbier, who was released from North Korea last week.
CBS News' Margaret Brennan reported Tuesday that Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Defense Secretary James Mattis are meeting on Wednesday in Washington with two of China's top officials - the state councilor and the chief of the People's Liberation Army's joint staff department.
Ramping up pressure on North Korea is going to be a major focus during the discussions as are other flashpoints, Brennan reports. The Trump administration has not been satisfied with the pressure applied by China on the North and believes more is possible.
White House press secretary Sean Spicer addressed the concerns at Tuesday's briefing, saying, "We have been very forceful in our political and economic pressure that has been applied in North Korea. I think we will continue to apply that, and obviously China can play and can continue to play a greater role in helping to resolve this situation. And we will continue to hopefully build on the relationship and the dialogue that we have with China."
