Hong Kong leader’s silence on US election result expected given Beijing has yet to recognise winner, analysts say

Carrie Lam is still to congratulate Joe Biden on beating Donald Trump last week

But analysts say she is waiting for Beijing to move first, pointing to the rocky state of affairs between the two nations

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Joe Biden declared victory in the American presidential election last week but China has yet to congratulate him. Photo: AFP

Published: 8:00am, 10 Nov 2020Updated: 8:28am, 10 Nov 2020

Hong Kong’s leader has yet to comment on the results of the US presidential election in stark contrast to the quick acknowledgement of the victor four years ago, but analysts say the delay is expected given the dismal state of US-China relations and Donald Trump’s warning he will challenge the results in court.

In the previous election in 2016, Trump also lost the popular vote but defeated Democratic Party candidate Hillary Clinton by clinching 304 electoral college votes to her 227. She soon congratulated him, as did various world leaders, including President Xi Jinping.

Xi told Trump in a phone call he looked forward to working with the US administration “to uphold the principles of non-conflict, non-confrontation, mutual respect and win-win cooperation”, CCTV reported at the time.

President Xi Jinping and US counterpart Donald Trump at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing in November 2017. Photo: AP

An hour after Xi’s message, then Hong Kong chief executive Leung Chun-ying issued a statement congratulating the new leader.

“The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government looks forward to further deepening our links with the US,” he said.