China congratulates new US President

BEIJING: China on Thursday congratulated US President Joe Biden on his inauguration and called for a reset in BeijingWashington relations.

Beijing said it welcomed news that the US will rejoin the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Paris climate pact as Biden made his first efforts to pivot Washington back to a central role in global leadership.

“With cooperation from both sides, the better angels in China-US relations will beat the evil forces,” foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying told a ministry briefing on Thursday.

Hua said Biden used the word “unity” several times in his inauguration speech, and that it was “precisely what is needed currently in US-China relations”.

“China and the US had experienced a very difficult time in the past, and the two sides indeed deserve a better future, so we wish Biden a successful presidency,” Hua said.

The Trump administration, especially former secretary of state Mike Pompeo, had burned many bridges that needed to be rebuilt, and damaged many roads that needed to be fixed.

“The two governments should have courage to listen to and respect each other. If we are determined to fix it, it can be fixed,” Hua said.

On Wednesday, the foreign ministry had dismissed the charges of genocide against the Uighur community in Xinjiang. Responding to the allegations, Hua had said, “Pompeo has made so many lies in recent years, and this is just another bold-faced lie.”