US President-elect Joe Biden and his deputy-elect Kamala Harris were all smiles as they addressed a huge crowd in Delaware to mark their victory.
Biden, 77, and Kamala, 56, addressed their compatriots promising a new dawn in a sharply divided country fighting to survive the scare of the coronavirus pandemic. Twenty-four hours later, the two leaders had a fanfare on Twitter as congratulatory messages poured from world leaders who pull strings of influence in global governance.
Among them was the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a man considered to be an ally Donald Trump who is yet to concede defeat.
He tweeted: “Congratulations @JoeBiden and @KamalaHarris. Joe, we’ve had a long & warm personal relationship for nearly 40 years, and I know you as a great friend of Israel. I look forward to working with both of you to further strengthen the special alliance between the U.S. and Israel.”
“Thank you @realDonaldTrump for the friendship you have shown the state of Israel and me personally, for recognizing Jerusalem and the Golan, for standing up to Iran, for the historic peace accords and for bringing the American-Israeli alliance to unprecedented heights.”
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But in the long chain of well-wishers, certain key power-wielding figures were missing. Standard Digital looks at the countries yet to acknowledging Biden’s win.
China- President Xi Xinping
China is among the countries yet to congratulate Joe Biden for clinching the presidency. Reuters reported that Beijing was concerned by Mr Trump’s allegation and opted to engage the brakes to wait on the outcome.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin recently told the media that the Asian country decided to play the waiting game to give the case a chance.
“We understand that the U.S. presidential election result will be determined following U.S. law and procedures,” Wenbin said, as revealed by Reuters.
Contrary to the 2016 scenario, where Chinese President Xi Xinping hurried his congratulatory message on the second day after Trump’s victory; the approach has been different.
The relations between China and the USA have gone down owing to the frequent verbal wars and economic rivalry that keep playing out. But analysts argue that in Biden, China is not easily assured of friendship. It might be rockier as well under Biden. Global Times editor Hu Xijin recently waded into the issue arguing that China is locked up in the middle ground to be seen to be interfering with affairs of US.
“I think it’s because China needs to keep a larger distance from the US presidential election to avoid getting entangled in its controversy. This actually shows that China respects the US as a whole,” he tweeted, as Reuters reveals.
North Korea-Kim Jong Un
Korth Korean leader Kim Jong Un is yet to talk about the US elections. US-North Korea relations have never flourished due to the different stances on nuclear development among other issues in the Asian hemisphere.
Brazil-President Jair Bolsonaro
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro had high hopes of extension of Trump’s presidency last month and is yet to speak on Biden’s victory.
Washington Post reports that the Brazilian leader promised to attend Mr Trump’s inauguration which may not be. “I hope, God willing, to soon appear at the inauguration of President [Trump] in the United States,” he said, as quoted by the Washington Post.
Mexican-President Andrés Manuel López Obrador
Even with the seemingly frosty relations between the US and Mexico, fueled by Trump’s construction of the border wall; Mr Obrador is giving room for chance pending the lawsuit by Trump on the results.
He was recently quoted by Reuters saying: “I can’t congratulate one candidate or the other. I want to wait until the electoral process is over.”
“President Trump has been very respectful of us, and we have reached very good agreements, and we thank him because he has not interfered and has respected us,” he added.
Russia- Vladimir Putin
After having been embroiled in allegations of aiding Trump to victory in the 2016 elections, Russia has chosen to sit back and watch scenes unfold. Reports reveal the Kremlin is shy of wading in the US elections lest it falls victim of similar allegations. Putin is reportedly waiting for issues raised by Trump to be settled.
Turkey- President Recep Tayyip Erdogan
Like his counterparts, President Erdogan has held his horses on Biden’s victory too. But according to the Washington Post, the Istanbul government is waiting for ‘formal’ announcement of result after legal issues have been settled.
