China is one of a handful of big countries that did not congratulate Joe Biden.
Beijing, China:
China declined on Monday to congratulate Joe Biden as the winner of the US presidential election, saying the outcome of the vote remains to be determined.
While outgoing President Donald Trump has yet to concede and has launched several legal challenges, many world leaders have praised Biden and his Vice President Kamala Harris after Democrats were declared the winners over the weekend and celebrations spontaneous outbreaks in American cities.
Trump’s four years in the White House have been marked by a costly trade war and increasingly icy relations with China, with the two powers fighting over areas ranging from responsibility for the Covid-19 pandemic to the toll of human rights from Beijing to Xinjiang and Hong Kong.
China – among a handful of major countries including Russia and Mexico that have not congratulated the president-elect – said on Monday it had “noticed that Mr Biden declared he was the winner of the election “.
“We understand that the outcome of the elections will be determined in accordance with US laws and procedures,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin told reporters during a regular press briefing.
After refusing to acknowledge Biden’s victory despite repeated questions from reporters, Wang said, “We hope the new US government can meet China halfway.”
Trump refused to concede defeat, complaining in a tweet Sunday, “Since when is Lamestream Media calling out who will be our next president?”
(This story was not edited by GalacticGaming staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
