BEIJING: On Wednesday, Chinese President Xi Jinping congratulated Joe Biden about his electoral victory in the United States, state media reported.
In his telegram, Xi said that the two countries “should not stick to conflict or confrontation, mutual respect and a spirit of mutually beneficial cooperation” to promote the “noble cause” of world peace and development.
Xi’s message came more than two weeks after several other major countries congratulated Biden.
Relations between the United States and China have reached record lows in recent months, as the two superpowers have traded criticism on a variety of issues, including the trade war, espionage allegations, human rights, media freedoms and technological rivalry.
Both countries have repeatedly attacked each other’s handling of the deadly coronavirus pandemic, with Washington blaming China’s lack of transparency during the initial outbreak in Wuhan late last year.
Xi added that “the healthy and stable development of US-China relations is in accordance with the fundamental interests of both peoples.”
Chinese Vice President Wang Qishan He also sent a message of congratulations to Kamala Harris on her election as vice president of the United States, the Xinhua news agency reported.
Beijing had previously offered discreet congratulations to Biden and Harris on November 13, long after several major countries congratulated the president-elect on his victory after days of turmoil and anticipation as ballots were finalized in key states.
“We understand that the results of the US elections will be confirmed based on US laws and procedures,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said during a routine briefing at the time.
The Chinese media response to BidenThe victory since the result was confirmed earlier this month has been similarly muted.
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