Beijing: China declined Monday to congratulate Joe Biden as the winner of the US presidential election. China said outcome of the American polls should be determined by the country’s laws and procedures. China has not yet come out with an official reaction to Joe Biden and Kamala Harris’ victory in the November 3 presidential election. However, official media here are carrying out commentaries on their election.
It was pointed out during a press briefing here Monday that China is one of the few countries which has not yet commented on the US presidential election results. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said: “We have noticed that Biden declared he is the winner of the election. Our understanding is that the outcome of the election will be determined in accordance with US laws and procedures.”
He was asked when will China make its statement or will it wait until President Donald Trump makes his stand clear. Wang said: “We will follow international customary practices.”
China is among a handful of major countries including Russia and Mexico that have not congratulated the President-elect.
Trump, a Republican, has refused to concede defeat to his Democratic challenger, Biden.
Wang was asked on the China-US relations that have touched a new low under Trump. “We have always advocated that China and the US should step up communication and dialogue, manage differences on the basis of mutual respect, expand cooperation on the basis of mutual benefit and promote the sound and stable development of China-US relations,” he said. He however, parried a number of questions, including how China plans to deal with the trade war negotiations launched by Trump.
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Wang however, was more forthcoming on the victory of Harris as the first woman Vice- President-elect. “In China, there is a saying that women hold half of the sky. China has been committed to realizing gender equality and advancing women’s development around the world,” he said.
Trump’s four years in power were the worst phase in China-US relations as the ruling Communist Party of China headed by President Xi Jinping struggled to deal with what China’s officials say is the most elusive and unpredictable American leader ever since the former US President Richard Nixon in 1972 established ties with the Communist nation.
Biden entering the White House is expected to provide an opportunity for breakthroughs in resuming high-level communication and rebuilding mutual strategic trust between the two major countries, state-run ‘Global Times’ said.