The US election was closely watched in China, especially because this particular election took place the day before Beijing began its own once-in-a-decade political transition.
In contrast to the showbiz and fanfare of the US election, the fifth generation of Communist Party leaders, led by Xi Jinping, will step up after a highly secretive appointment process in which ordinary Chinese have no say.
People therefore tend to revel in the US voting process, and have tended to favour Barack Obama over defeated Republican challenger Mitt Romney, especially after Mr Romney stepped up the rhetoric about China as a currency manipulator.
“Both candidates represent US interests. China and the US have different values, so there is nothing worth commenting on,” wrote one web commentator, Laofu.
“I don’t know how the election works. Can the governor of one state challenge the president? That’s impossible, unless the provincial governor is crazy and opposed to the party secretary,” said one elderly man.
In an editorial on the state-owned Xinhua news agency, the commentator said China’s interest in the elections was a sign of how intertwined the two countries had become, and relations were good, with bilateral trade likely to top $500 billion this year.
“However, disputes between the world’s largest developed and developing countries are apparent and there is always a risk of confrontation,” it said.
“If the United States does not change its traditionally hegemonic ways of thinking, there will be more and more conflicts as China continues to develop and protect its own interests,” the editorial ran.
Cai Mingzhao, spokesman for the 18th Communist Party Congress, which starts today, told a packed news conference in the Great Hall of the People on Tiananmen Square, that he hoped the new US administration would continue to pursue a positive policy on China.
“We hope the US side will continue to work with the Chinese side to strengthen dialogue exchanges, mutual trust and co-operation, while respecting each other’s core interests and effectively managing our problems.”
