China said Wednesday it hoped for “peaceful coexistence” with the United States as Donald Trump appeared on the verge of a decisive victory over Kamala Harris in the country’s presidential election.
“We will continue to approach and handle China-US relations based on the principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence, and win-win cooperation,” foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning told a regular briefing.
Read more: Republicans seize control of US Senate: networks
“Our policy toward the United States has been consistent,” she added.
Mao did not comment directly on the possibility of Trump’s re-election, but said “the United States presidential election is an internal affair of the United States”.
“We respect the choice of the American people,” she said.
“After the US election results are released and officially announced, we will handle related matters in accordance with usual practice,” she added when asked if Chinese President Xi Jinping would call Trump to congratulate him.
US networks had already called the swing states of Pennsylvania, Georgia and North Carolina for the 78-year-old, and he led the Democratic vice president in the others.
Read more: Trump on verge of victory over Harris
Joyful supporters waited for the 78-year-old to speak at a watch party in Florida — while gloom descended in Harris’s camp as aides said she would no longer speak as expected.
“You won’t hear from the vice president tonight but you will hear from her tomorrow,” Cedric Richmond, Harris campaign co-chair, told a watch party at Howard University in Washington.
In a further blow to Democrats, Trump’s Republican Party also seized control of the Senate, flipping two seats to overturn a narrow Democratic majority.
A Trump victory threatens to cause shockwaves around the world, as US allies in Europe and Asia fear a return of his nationalist policies and his praise of autocrats like Russia’s Vladimir Putin.
But the US dollar surged and bitcoin hit a record high while most equity markets advanced as traders bet on a victory for Trump as the results rolled in.