Xi Jinping Congratulates Biden, It Will Take Longer Than Ever To Congratulate Trump
JAKARTA - Chinese President Xi Jinping congratulated Joe Biden on his victory in the vote count in the United States (US) Election last November 3. Xi hopes that Biden's victory will bring positive developments to bilateral relations between the two countries. However, Xi's words for Trump were spoken earlier than for Biden this time.
China's official Xinhua news agency said Xi was pushing for stabilization and efforts to "heal" China-US relations. Xi said the positive relations between the two largest economies in the world were not only good for the two countries but also for the international community.
On the same day, Chinese Vice President Wang Qishan congratulated Biden and his partner, Kamala Harris. Unlike Xi, Wang doesn't share any hopes.
Sino-US relations during US President Donald Trump's four-year tenure have deteriorated to their lowest point in decades. The two countries are embroiled in a burning dispute over a wide range of issues, from trade to technology to Hong Kong politics and the coronavirus.
Asked for comment, a Biden transition team official said, "We appreciate the congratulations of all world leaders who have conveyed it, including President Xi."
During the election campaign, Biden vowed to stand firm against China's expanding influence around the world. Biden also more than once called Xi a "thug" in his human rights practices.
On Tuesday, November 25, while officially announcing his team on foreign policy, Biden said allies were looking forward to the US reaffirming its historic role as a global leader in the Pacific. In the region, China is trying to replace the US as the dominant power.
Biden, who takes office on January 20, has made it a priority to drive progress on climate change, nuclear nonproliferation and global health. He will need cooperation from China in those efforts.
China's Foreign Ministry congratulated Biden on November 13, nearly a week after many US allies did, at the same time Trump was still challenging the election results. In 2016, Xi sent Trump congratulations on November 9, the day after that year's presidential election, sooner than Xi congratulated Biden.