WASHINGTON — China has offered its congratulations to United States President-elect Joe Biden and his running mate Kamala Harris on their election success, almost a week after they delivered victory addresses.
Speaking at a regular press briefing on Friday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said that China "respected the choice of the American people."
"We congratulate Biden and Harris. At the same time, we understand that the outcome of this US election will be ascertained in accordance with US laws and procedures," he said.
China is one of the last major nations to offer its congratulations to President-elect Biden and his team on their win. A large number of countries have already welcomed the new US leader, including the United Kingdom, Australia, Israel, France and Germany.
In 2016, Chinese President Xi Jinping offered his congratulations to then-President-elect Trump just one day after he had been declared the winner.
Chinese state-run media has so far been cautious in its handling of Biden's win in comparison to its increasingly strident tone towards the Trump administration, amid an ongoing deterioration in bilateral relations.
In an editorial on Thursday, the state-run newspaper China Daily said that the "eagerness of foreign leaders" to congratulate Biden showed they wanted to "turn their backs on the current administration and its divisive policies."
"China is always ready to work with the US to manage their differences. Whoever is in the White House should look at the regional situation objectively," the editorial said.