China finally congratulates Joe Biden, Kamala Harris on election victory

November 13, 2020 at 10:11 a.m. EST

Chinese leader Xi Jinping and then-Vice President Joe Biden at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on Sept. 24, 2015. Beijing on Friday belatedly congratulated Biden on his 2020 election win. (Carolyn Kaster/AP)

SEOUL — China finally congratulated President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala D. Harris on Friday 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 Australia, Japan and South Korea — U.S. allies that have watched with varying degrees of concern as Beijing has expanded its regional influence. Biden was projected as the winner of the presidential election on Nov. 7.