Xi's RSVP is a snub to Trump, but the inauguration invite is still a big deal

CNN — Imagine the scene, at noon on January 20, on the west front of the US Capitol. As Donald Trump swears to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution on the same spot where his supporters rioted four years ago, an extraordinary VIP guest looks on, overshadowing ex-presidents, military brass and members of Congress. Bundled up to ward off the winter chill is Xi Jinping, the hardline leader of China — the country almost everyone on the inaugural platform sees as an existential threat to US superpower dominance as a 21st century cold war accelerates. It's a fantastical picture, because…