CHINESE President Xi Jinping has congratulated Joe Biden on winning the presidential election – after President Donald Trump claimed Hunter Biden had shady business dealings with China.
Biden and Xi spoke during a phone call on Wednesday, according to the Xinhua state media agency.
Citing Xinhua, Reuters reported that Xi “expressed hope the two countries could promote the healthy and stable development of bilateral relations.”
State media also reported that Chinese Vice President Wang Qishan congratulated Senator Kamala Harris on her election to the vice presidency.
Shortly after Election Day, China’s foreign ministry issued a warm congratulations to Biden and Harris on the win.
“We respect the choice of the American people,” foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said, per The Associated Press. “We congratulate Mr. Biden and Ms. Harris.”
During his re-election campaign, President Donald Trump claimed that Biden’s son, Hunter Biden, had shady business dealings with China.
Hunter Biden was accused of searching out lucrative deals in China and using his family name as leverage.
According to Tony Bobulinski, Hunter Biden’s ex-business partner, Joe Biden was allegedly involved in one of the schemes with a Chinese energy company, and was identified as “the big guy” in a series of leaked emails.
Bobulinski claimed he heard Joe Biden and his son discuss business dealings in China in 2017, the New York Post reported last month.
The Democrat, who was out of office in 2017, has repeatedly denied having any involvement in his son’s business dealings.
Bobulinski stated he was the CEO of Sinohawk Holdings, a holding company he described as a partnership between Chinese firm China Energy Co and the Bidens.
He claimed the Chinese company were hoping to gain “political or influence investment” through the deal, and that Hunter Biden “wanted to use the company as his personal piggy bank by just taking money out of it as soon as it came from the Chinese.”
Joe Biden has spoken to several world leaders in recent weeks.
French President Emmanuel Macron was among the first to offer his best wishes.
He tweeted: “The Americans have chosen their President.”
“Congratulations @JoeBiden and @KamalaHarris! We have a lot to do to overcome today’s challenges. Let’s work together!”
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said in a statement: “Congratulations! The American people have made their decision.”
“Joe Biden will be the 46th President of the United States of America.
“I sincerely wish him the best of luck and every success and I would also like to congratulate Kamala Harris, the first female vice president-elect in the history of your country.
“I look forward to working with President Biden. Our transatlantic friendship is indispensable if we are to deal with the major challenges of our time.”
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he is looking forward to working with the new Biden administration on policies from climate change to trade and security.
Johnson said: “Congratulations to Joe Biden on his election as President of the United States and to Kamala Harris on her historic achievement.
“The US is our most important ally and I look forward to working closely together on our shared priorities from climate change to trade and security.”
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Biden will be inaugurated on January 20.
On Tuesday, he took a swipe at Trump saying the United States will once again be a global leader.
While unveiling new picks for his Cabinet, Biden said his appointments are “a team that reflects the fact that America is back, ready to lead the world, not retreat from it” and said they will “confront our adversaries and not reject allies.”