Beijing finally broke its silence on the U.S. election, more than one week after millions of Americans cast their ballots. Incumbent President Donald Trump has yet to concede defeat.
"We respect the choice of the American people. We extend congratulations to Mr. Biden and Ms. Harris," Wang Wenbin, a spokesman for China’s Foreign Ministry, at a press briefing on November 13, referring to incoming vice president Kamala Harris, according to Deutsche Welle (DW).
After offering the congratulations on November 12, Wang Wenbin added: "We understand the results of the US election will be determined according to US laws and procedures.”
Mr. Biden has taken calls from a string of global leaders in recent days, the BBC said on November 13. Congratulations reportedly began to pour in from Saturday, when US networks projected the result and he declared victory.
President Trump has continued to make unsubstantiated allegations of voter fraud without providing clear evidence. On Thursday November 12, a group of federal and state election officials directly rebutted such claims, saying the vote was “the most secure in American history.”
The relationship between China and the United States – the world’s two biggest economies — is crucial to both sides, and the wider world. Tensions have soared in recent times, over trade, espionage and the pandemic
A trade war initiated by President Trump has damaged relations, as has his insistence on often calling COVID-19, the “Chinese virus” or “kung flu.”
Who China preferred to see in the White House was reportedly a matter for debate before the election. The US intelligence community believed Xi Jinping and the Communist Party leaned towards Mr. Biden, according to the BBC.
But Professor Yan Xuetong, at Beijing's Tsinghua University, said China would rather have seen four more years of Donald Trump.
“Not because Trump will do less damage to China's interests than Biden, but because he definitely will damage the US more than Biden,” he told the BBC before the election.
It's unclear how much Joe Biden would shift US policy towards China, as there is rare cross-party agreement in Congress on getting tough with Beijing over trade and other issues.
Experts predict a tactical shift, however – they see a Biden White House working more with allies to confront China, while also seeking to co-operate in other areas, like fighting climate change.
