Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a message to President-elect Biden on Wednesday to congratulate him on his election victory, according to the Xinhua state news agency.
Why it matters: China’s foreign ministry offered Biden a belated, and tentative, congratulations on Nov. 13, but Xi had not personally acknowledged Biden’s win. The leaders of Brazil, Mexico and Russia are among the very few leaders still declining to congratulate Biden.
Xinhua reports that Xi called Biden and left a congratulatory message. Chinese Vice President Wang Qishan also called Vice President-elect Harris.
What he’s saying, per Xinhua:
- “In his congratulatory message, Xi Jinping pointed out that promoting the healthy and stable development of China-US relations not only conforms to the fundamental interests of the two peoples, but also is the common expectation of the international community.”
- “It is hoped that both sides will uphold the spirit of non-conflict, non-confrontation, mutual respect, and win-win cooperation, focus on cooperation, manage differences, promote the healthy and stable development of Sino-US relations, and work with other countries and the international community to advance the noble cause of world peace and development.”
What to watch: Biden will inherit a host of China-related challenges that require immediate action, from restoring diplomatic backchannels with China to figuring out what to do about lingering tariffs, Axios’ Bethany Allen-Ebrahimian reports.