World leaders responded to Biden’s inauguration by offering congratulations, vying for a position at the forefront of his foreign policy agenda and, in some cases, begging for the reversal of his predecessor’s policies.
Among most messages was a palpable sense of relief, as the international community embraced Biden’s promise to reinsert a series of global pacts and organizations that President Donald Trump has released.
Here’s what the leaders have said so far.
“Again, after four long years, Europe has a friend in the White House,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Wednesday, leaving no doubt about her verdict on Trump’s relationship with the block.
“This new dawn in America is the moment we have been waiting for so long. Europe is ready for a new start with our oldest and most trusted partner,” she said at the European Parliament in Brussels, Belgium.
Von der Leyen said Biden’s inauguration would be “a message of healing for a deeply divided nation and a message of hope for a world that hopes the United States will return to the circle of states with similar interests.”
Biden signaled a warmer partnership with Europe than Trump, who frequently criticized the EU in trade during his government. His attacks on some European leaders led to icy scenes at several summits.
China
Hours before his inauguration, Beijing expressed hope that Biden would “look at China rationally and objectively” to repair “serious damage” in bilateral relations caused by the Trump presidency.
“In the past four years, the US government has made fundamental mistakes in its strategic perception of China … interfering in China’s internal affairs, suppressing and defaming China and causing serious damage to China-US relations,” a Ministry spokesman said. Foreign Affairs Hua Chunying said at a news conference on Wednesday.
The Biden government must, said Hua, “look at China rationally and objectively, meet China halfway and, in the spirit of mutual respect, equality and mutual benefit, push China-US relations back on track healthy and stable development as soon as possible. “
“If the new US government can adopt a more rational and responsible attitude in formulating its foreign policy, I think it will be warmly welcomed by everyone in the international community,” he added.
Will
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has asked Biden to return to the 2015 nuclear deal and lift U.S. sanctions on Iran, nullifying an important part of Trump’s foreign policy program.
“The ball is in the US field now. If Washington returns to the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran, we will also fully respect our commitments under the pact,” Rouhani said in a televised cabinet meeting.
He also launched a blunt attack on the outgoing president. “The era of a tyrant has come to an end and today is the last day of his sinister reign,” said Rouhani of Trump’s departure. “Someone for whom all his four years have not borne fruit, except injustice and corruption and causing problems for his own people and the world.”
Biden said he plans to return to the nuclear deal with Iran, which was signed when he was vice president of Barack Obama. Biden’s national security advisers suggested they would like further negotiations on Iran’s ballistic missile capabilities, although Rouhani said the missile program was non-negotiable.
Germany
The German president said he was relieved that Biden was sworn in on Wednesday, calling it “a good day for democracy”.
“In the United States, (democracy) has withstood a lot of pressure,” said Frank Walter Steinmeier in a statement.
“Despite the internal hostility, the institutions of the United States have shown themselves to be strong – electoral workers, governors, judiciary and Congress,” he said. “I am relieved that Joe Biden takes office as president today and comes to the White House. I know that feeling is shared by many people in Germany.
Steinmeier also warned against the kind of populist politics that Trump pursued. “Despite all the joy we have today, we must not forget that populism has seduced even the most powerful democracy in the world,” he said. “We must resolutely oppose polarization, protect and strengthen the public space of our democracies and shape politics based on reason and facts.”
UK
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he was looking forward to a close relationship with the Biden government.
“In our fight against Covid and in the midst of climate change, defense, security and the promotion and defense of democracy, our goals are the same and our nations will work hand in hand to achieve them,” Johnson said in a statement on Tuesday. market.
Johnson warmly welcomed Trump on his visits to the UK, with Trump once claiming that the prime minister was dubbed “Trump of Great Britain”. But the American leader who is stepping down was not popular with the British, and Johnson will make sure to secure a post-Brexit trade deal with Biden.
The new president may end up making two trips to the UK in 2021, with Johnson saying he looks forward to welcoming him to the G7 summit and the long-awaited 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Glasgow, Scotland. “Only through international cooperation can we really overcome the common challenges we face,” said Johnson on Tuesday.
CNN’s Ramin Mostaghim, Eleanor Pickston, Luke McGee and Stephanie Halasz contributed to the report