On the surface, it appears odd for the leader of one of the biggest adversaries of the U.S.  to offer congratulations on anything to America, let alone personal congratulations to Joe Biden on winning the 2020 presidential election. But according to Chinese state media outlet Xinhua, it happened on Wednesday.

“Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday sent a message to Biden to congratulate him on election as U.S. president,” Xinhua reported in a very brief statement.

The tension between the U.S. and China has been palpable since President Trump took office in 2016. Part of the reason has been the ongoing trade war, along with the fact that Trump would frequently refer to the coronavirus as “The China Virus.”

Trump and his administration had also been putting huge pressure on China regarding the human rights abuses they engage in against Muslim minority groups in the country.

Before the election, it was widely speculated that China and President Jinping were hoping for a Biden victory, based on the contentious and adversarial relationship under Trump.

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