Asia Celebrates Obama's Victory

Asia, like the rest of the world, watched in gripped anticipation as Barack Obama's won the U.S. presidential elections.

China welcomed Obama as the youthful president-elect with the energy to tackle the financial crisis now threatening its economy and an ethnic heritage that could help America reach out to the rest of the world.

Many Chinese hope Obama's message of unity and respect, and his promise not to demonize China, will usher in a new era for U.S. ties with the emerging Asian giant. "Obama needs to treat China as an equal, he needs to respect what we are doing and what we have achieved. Bush was too pushy," said 24-year-old English teacher Wu Shan.

The dramatic victory, in which Obama carried some states that had not voted for his Democratic party in decades, was a major boost to America's reputation.

"I am very happy U.S. history was made. I think in a lot of Chinese people's eyes America was a racist country, even today the television said that white people wouldn't vote for Obama," said Li Nan, a student at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. "I think that a lot of Chinese will change their mind now."

But gathering economic storm clouds, which threaten to undermine decades of rapid growth, mean the economic policies of the next leader of the United States are almost as big a concern in Beijing as they were in polling booths across America.

"Obama may be more ideological and that could be less good for China in terms of trade," said Wang Hongtao, an Obama supporter studying for a doctorate at the Central Party School in Beijing, and following the results at an embassy election party.

Belt-tightening by U.S. consumers as their economy flounders has hit Chinese exporters hard in the "factory of the world", even though strict controls have protected its banks from the worst of the financial tsunami swamping foreign competitors.

Obama's Ex-Indonesia Classmates Delight Over Victory

Over in Indonesia, where Obama's spent part of his childhood, his former classmates reacted with joy as the boy who stood by their side in the school yearbook years ago was elected as the first black U.S. president.

"I remember in the class book, all students were writing down their goals and wishes. Some said they wanted to be lawyers, soldiers, pilot and doctors, but he was the one who said he wanted to be president," said Dewi Asmara, a former classmate. "We never understood what was on his mind that day."

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Cheering his victory at a gathering of about 200 Indonesians and Americans, Obama's classmates said they were delighted with his win because they felt a special emotional connection with the Democrat who spent four years in Indonesia.

"For the people of Indonesia there is a sentimental feeling. There's a special bonding that we have," said Asmara, as a shower of red, white and blue balloons dropped from a hotel ballroom where the U.S. embassy held an election event.

Obama spent four years in Indonesia after his American mother, Ann Dunham, married Muslim
Indonesian Lolo Soetoro following the end of her marriage to Obama's Kenyan father. Obama was six years old when he moved to Jakarta, where he went to a Catholic school and then State Elementary School Menteng 01.

"We are proud and happy, in the past one-and-a-half years we have been defending him from all the false allegations and black campaigns about his past in Indonesia. And now we can see the results today," said another former classmate, Rully Dasaad.
     
Obama has strong memories of Indonesia from those formative years. He recounts in his book "Dreams From My Father" being amazed to find the house they moved into on the outskirts of Jakarta had a collection of exotic animals including a monkey, birds of paradise, a cockatoo and even several baby crocodiles.

Indonesia has been a key regional ally in the U.S.-led "war on terror" and looks to America for trade and investment. But many of Bush's policies, especially in the Middle East, have been unpopular in the predominantly Muslim country.

Japan's Obama Town Overjoyed

And in Japan, the sleepy fishing town of Obama went wild on Wednesday as locals gathered to celebrate namesake Barack Obama's victory in the U.S. presidential election.    

Jurvetson Barack Obama

More than a hundred residents gathered to watch the vote count on television in a public hall in the middle of the day, and chanted "Obama, Obama!" as the result was announced on a news program.

Some were clad in hula costumes in honor of Obama's birthplace in Hawaii. Others showed up wearing "I love Obama" T-shirts. The town has taken advantage of the name  -- one of many named Obama, or "small beach" in Japanese -- to launch products from fish burgers and steamed cakes to chopsticks.

Buoyed by the victory, locals say they hope Obama, who once mentioned the town in a television interview, will visit.

"The next thing we want to do is to go to the White House and dance the hula at Obama's inauguration ceremony," said Tatsuya Sano, 45, who runs a souvenir shop selling locally made Barack Obama souvenirs.

Chikako Shimizu, 35, the leader of an "Obama Girls" hula dance group launched this year, said she was calm while watching the vote count on television because she had no doubt Obama would win. "I was convinced that he would win. I couldn't be happier," she said.      

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