Days after many other countries, China on Friday finally congratulated President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala D. Harris for their U.S. election win, ending whispers over Beijing’s reticence.
Beijing’s salutations came just over 24 hours after Biden’s team said he had held phone calls with the leaders of Australia, Japan and South Korea — U.S. allies that have watched with varying degrees of concern as Beijing has expanded its regional influence.
The early overtures to China’s neighbors reflected Biden’s campaign promise of staying tough on China but seeking a united front instead of the Trump administration’s more unilateral approach. China’s government has been cautiously optimistic about calmer relations with Washington under a Biden administration, although officials have no illusions of a major thaw.
Source: washingtonpost.com
