World Powers Hopeful For Reset With US As Biden Takes Office

Ahead of the inauguration of US president-elect Joe Biden on Wednesday, countries around the world expressed cautious hope for a reset in relations while prioritising their own interests.

China was hoping for “a collaboration beneficial to both sides,” a spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry in Beijing said.

But China would preserve its own interests and national security and not be defamed by the US, the spokesperson added.

The comments come after the designated incoming Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken, named relations with China as a central challenge for the US on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, arch-rival Iran said it was generally ready to clear its differences with the U.S.

But the ball was in Washington’s court, President Hassan Rowhani said on Wednesday.

“Everything they do, we will do exactly the same … no more, no less,” Rowhani said on state television.

With reference to the 2015 nuclear deal, Rowhani said if Biden was serious in fulfilling the international obligations of U.S. towards Iran, Tehran would do the same.

Outgoing President Donald Trump had left the deal and imposed unilateral sanctions on Iran, after which Tehran stopped fulfilling the technical requirements of the deal.

Rowhani said Iran would return to its obligations if the rest of the deal – namely scrapping the sanctions – was implemented as well.

He declined a full or partial renegotiation of the agreement.

(NAN)