BEIJING: China today (Monday) has declined to congratulate Joe Biden for winning the US presidential election, saying that the election’s outcome should be determined by the country’s laws and procedures.
Democrat Biden clinched enough states to win the presidency, while the incumbent President Donald Trump has not conceded yet and has launched several legal challenges.
Many world leaders have congratulated Biden and running mate Kamala Harris after the Democrats were declared winners at the weekend and spontaneous celebrations erupted across American cities.
Relations between China and the United States are at their worst in decades over disputes ranging from technology and trade to Hong Kong and the COVID-19, and the Trump administration has unleashed a barrage of sanctions against Beijing.
Foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin, in a press briefing said, “We noticed that Biden has declared election victory. We understand that the US presidential election result will be determined following US law and procedures.”
After declining to acknowledge Biden’s victory despite repeated questions from reporters, Wang said, “We hope the new US government can meet China halfway.”
Wang further said, “We always believe that China and the United States should enhance communication and dialogue, manage differences on the basis of mutual respect, expand cooperation on the basis of mutual benefit and promote sound and stable development of bilateral relations.”
Joe Biden is expected to maintain a tough stance on China, and had called President Xi Jinping a “thug”. He vowed to lead a campaign to pressure, isolate and punish China and is likely to take a more measured and multilateral approach.
