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BEIJING. Chinese President Xi Jinping congratulated US President-elect Joe Biden on Wednesday (November 25) and expressed hope for “win-win cooperation” amid conflicts over trade, technology and security.
China became one of the last major governments to congratulate Biden. There was no explanation for the delay, but some commentators suggest that Beijing may want to avoid straining relations with President Donald Trump, who has not relented.
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In a congratulatory message, Xi told Biden that “healthy and stable” relations were “the common expectation of the international community,” according to a statement from the official Xinhua news agency.
“We hope that the two sides will maintain the spirit of non-conflict and non-confrontation, mutual respect and mutually beneficial cooperation, focus on cooperation, control differences, and promote the healthy and stable development of Sino-US relations,” said the release. .
Relations between China and the United States have deteriorated to their worst level in decades during Trump’s four years in office, with disputes simmering on issues from trade and technology to Hong Kong and COVID-19.
China’s Foreign Ministry congratulated Biden on November 13, nearly a week after many US allies had done so. In 2016, Xi sent congratulations to Trump on November 9, the day after that year’s election.
Also on Wednesday, Chinese Vice President Wang Qishan congratulated Biden’s running mate Kamala Harris on being chosen as the next vice president of the United States, Xinhua said, without providing further details.
