"We respect the choice of the American people, and express our congratulations to Mr Trump on his election as president," Beijing's foreign ministry said in a statement online.

The ministry's spokeswoman Mao Ning said earlier Wednesday that China hoped for "peaceful coexistence" with the United States as Trump neared his decisive victory over Kamala Harris.

"We will continue to approach and handle China-US relations based on the principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence, and win-win cooperation," she told a press briefing.

The US election was closely watched in China.

Both candidates in the race for the White House had pledged to get tougher on Beijing, with Trump promising 60-percent tariffs on all Chinese goods coming into the country.