World leaders hope for fresh start with US

LONDON, Nov 08 (AP): World leaders on Sunday cheered Joe Biden's election as U.S. president as a chance to enhance cooperation on climate change, the coronavirus and other problems after four years of President Donald Trump's rejection of international alliances.

Trump had yet to concede defeat, but Western and Asian allies expressed hoped for a fresh start following Trump's "American First" trade policies, withdrawal from the Paris climate agreement and attacks on NATO and the World Health Organization.

In Asia, a region on edge about the strategic ambitions of China's ruling Communist Party, the elected leaders of Japan, South Korea and Taiwan invoked "shared values" with Washington and expressed hope for close relations.

Word of the victory in Pennsylvania that pushed Barack Obama's former vice president past the threshold of 270 Electoral College votes needed to take over the Oval Office spread around the globe, sparking celebrations.

There was no immediate official reaction from Beijing, which is mired in conflicts with the Trump administration over trade, security and technology. But Chinese social media users welcomed the change. A post on the Sina Weibo microblog service, signed Gong Teng Xin Yi, said, "Congratulating Biden, the old friend of Chinese people on winning the election."

After Trump said he won "by a lot," the Communist Party newspaper People's Daily responded on Twitter, "HaHa."

President Tsai Ing-wen of Taiwan, the self-ruled island Beijing claims as part of its territory, expressed hope to "further our friendship." Biden had congratulated Tsai on her reelection in January, saying Taiwan is "stronger because of your free and open society."