Global support for Obama divided in White House race
The Obama-mania that swept the world four years ago is a distant memory, but foreign enthusiasm for challenger Mitt Romney is far from universal
It’s not only the US that finds itself fiercely divided as it goes to the polls today. In hindsight, President Barack Obama’s 2009 Nobel Peace Prize may have represented the zenith of a worldwide devotion that once approached cultish status. Today, deep political infighting, a sluggish economy and the realities of doing business with a recalcitrant Congress may have tarnished his brand back at home, but overseas, the focus is on trade, defence and, of course, foreign policy.
China
China’s elite would normally be watching the election more closely. But with its own once-in-a-decade leadership transition beginning just days after the US votes, it has other matters on its mind.
Some will follow the US polls avidly, but others are concerned only about its impact on China.
“I like Obama’s style. He’s a very charming guy ... Romney seems quite aggressive,” said Beijing-based marketing researcher Ming Ming . “I’m more concerned about who will have better policy towards China.”
Despite the tough-talking on tackling China in the presidential debates, Zheng Jihua, an entrepreneur, said: “I don’t think it makes much difference whether it’s Obama or Romney. The economic connections [between the countries] matter more than political things.”