By intern researcher Harold Broese

Caijing recently polled both Chinese and English readers of its website about their reaction to the American presidential election. Their answers revealed some interesting similarities and differences in what each group expects from the President Elect’s term in office.

It appears that the result of Tuesday's election was of no surprise to the respondents, as almost 90 percent of both groups were expecting Obama's victory. However, while over 60 percent of the 913 Chinese readers who took the survey believed that loss of faith in the incumbent administration was the primary factor in Obama’s win, many of the 179 people who took the English survey gave credit to the Obama’s policy promises. Neither group thought that race or the candidates' character had a significant influence on voters.

More than three-quarters of respondents in both groups believed the election of the first African American president was a noteworthy event. What McCain said in his concession speech – that this election is evidence that the U.S. has moved a long way from the “cruel and frightful bigotry” that marked the separatism of earlier years –seems to have resonated with our readers regardless of language.

They were a little more pessimistic when it came to the current financial crisis. Under one-third of all respondents believed that Obama would be able to handle the financial crisis well. On the other hand, only around 20 percent thought that he would not be able to. The remaining 50 percent were not sure – possibly because the exact causes of the financial crisis are not easily understood at this moment. Interestingly, most of those who believed that Obama would not be able to deal with the crisis credited this to the complexity of the issue, as opposed to any shortcomings in Obama himself, an indicator that his oft talked-about lack of experience did not have much truck with Caijing readers.

Looking at foreign policy, the survey asked questions about some key, U.S. agenda items including troop deployment in Iraq, and U.S. policy towards China in terms of trade, the Taiwan issue and general relations. About troop deployment in Iraq, only a quarter of respondents believed that the U.S. will withdraw troops in the near future. Approximately half of English survey respondents and two-thirds of Chinese survey respondents believed that there will be no immediate change. Almost a quarter of English survey respondents were not sure about the new president's intentions, compared to 11 percent of Chinese survey takers.

Regarding U.S.-China relations under Obama, two-thirds of English-language respondents thought that Obama would continue tow the line set by Bush; one-fifth believe that there would be a breakthrough in the two countries' relations; and only two percent believe that the relationship will turn cold. Chinese survey respondents as a group were less certain. Forty percent felt that there may be a breakthrough, and 40 percent believe that Obama will follow Bush's lead, suggesting fairly hopeful views. However, 12 percent believe that relations will turn cold under Obama's administration.

Most English survey respondents (59 percent) thought that the U.S. would maintain the status quo with regards to the Taiwan issue. Chinese-language respondents were even more convinced, with 73 percent anticipating that there will be no change. A quarter of English-language respondents believed that Obama's attitude would favour the mainland, compared to only 10 percent of Chinese survey respondents.

Both Chinese and English language respondents believed that Obama would continue to maintain the Strategic Economic Dialogue as established by President Bush and President Hu Jintao.