Beijing: China joins Russia, Brazil and Mexico in declining to recognise Joe Biden's victory in the American presidential election, unlike other nations like South Korea and Japan.
President Donald Trump had yet to concede defeat, but Western and Asian allies expressed hope for a fresh start following Trump's "America First" trade policies, withdrawal from the Paris climate agreement and attacks on NATO and the World Health Organization.
In Asia, a region on edge about the strategic ambitions of China's Communist Party, the elected leaders of Japan, South Korea and Taiwan invoked "shared values" with Washington and expressed hope for close relations.
China, however, declined to do so.
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"I noticed that Mr Biden has declared victory of the election. We understand that the presidential election result will be determined following the U.S. laws and procedures," said Wang Wenbin, Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson, at a regular press briefing in Beijing on Monday.
Wang answered a three-part question on why China hadn't congratulated Biden if it doubted the electoral process, and what the election means for U.S.-China relations.
"For your second question on China's statement, we will follow the international practices," Wang said.
"For the third question regarding China-U.S. relations, we always maintain that China and the U.S. should strengthen dialogue and community, manage and control differences based on mutual respect, expand bilateral cooperation based on mutual benefit and push ahead with steady and sound development of China-U.S. relations."
The two nations are inexorably entwined, economically and politically, even as Washington's military presence in the Pacific chafes against Beijing's expanded effort to have its way in what it sees as its natural sphere of influence.
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Under Trump, the two rivals engaged in a trade war and a lively exchange of verbal hostilities. A Biden administration could have a calming effect on those frayed ties.
AP
