China initially hesitated to congratulate Biden, a Democrat, after Republican incumbent President Donald Trump refused to concede.
China and the United States were headed for a major diplomatic confrontation as Washington on Wednesday ordered the closure of the Chinese consulate in Houston, a move it said was aimed 'to protect American intellectual property and private information', hinting at cyber espionage.
The US election campaign has provided plenty of ammunition for the CCP to make its case that its political system is superior.