本文发表在 rolia.net 枫下论坛October 31, 2008 at 5:07 AM EDT
BEIJING — Ten months ago, Barack Obama was vilified in China for his attack on the hazards of Chinese-made toys. His threat to ban imports of the toys was denounced as "irrational" in the state media, and he was accused of "victimizing" China.
Today, all is forgiven. Just days away from the U.S. election, Mr. Obama has charmed and impressed the Chinese people - if not their government.
Some Chinese are even voicing a bold thought: The election of a visible-minority president would be a triumph for the "American Dream" - and it could never happen in the Chinese system.
"I've only seen him on the TV news, but he looks cool," said Yue Zhouhong, a 34-year-old waitress in Beijing. "As a black person growing up in America, he should be someone who loves peace and equality."
He Xiaodong, a 41-year-old bus driver, praises Mr. Obama for his opposition to the Iraq war. But he also likes the symbolism of the Obama campaign. "If he wins, it will help to erase racial discrimination in the world, because it will be the first time a black man is elected president of a predominantly white country."
Opinion polls and online surveys confirm that Mr. Obama has become the people's favourite in China. One poll, by the respected Horizon research company in Beijing, found that Mr. Obama was supported by 68 per cent of those who expressed an opinion, compared with 32 per cent who preferred his rival, John McCain. (About half of respondents said they were not following the U.S. election closely enough to express a preference.) An online survey, conducted on the China Daily website, found Mr. Obama favoured by 75 per cent of those who voted.
Some Chinese scholars believe Mr. Obama will be less supportive of Chinese exports than would Mr. McCain, since the Democrats are more protectionist than the Republicans. Indeed, during the Democratic primaries this spring, the Illinois senator was sharply critical of China's trade policies.
Yet a series of street interviews in Beijing suggest that most ordinary people are unconcerned about Mr. Obama's China policies. Most are more fascinated by his image, his personality and his physical appearance. In the Chinese media, there have been debates over whether Mr. Obama is as handsome as basketball stars such as Kobe Bryant.
"Obama is a cool guy - he even visited his sick grandmother during the election campaign, which shows how kind he is," said a 35-year-old Chinese IT engineer in Beijing who calls himself Frederick.
China officially has 55 ethnic minorities, but its top Communist leaders have always been drawn from the Han ethnic majority. Following the U.S. example, could a minority ever become China's president?
"It's impossible," Frederick said. "Minorities hardly have any real power in China now. I think the party doesn't have much trust in minorities."
Chinese leaders need a "very strong political background," said a Beijing taxi driver named Guo. "There won't be any change in our long tradition of Han people leading the country," she said.
Chen Ronghua, a graduate student of law at Tsinghua University in Beijing, sees the U.S. election as a message to the world. "If Obama wins, it's like an advertisement for America and its political system," he said. "It shows the great tolerance of the American culture. It's better publicity than any Hollywood movie. It's the best explanation of the American Dream."
He, too, is doubtful that such a phenomenon could happen in China. "It's not possible," he said. "A strong and sophisticated political background is a necessary condition for our leaders. It would be harmful if fresh blood is supplied to the government by people who don't have the proper background. And minorities lack this background."
With a report from Yu Mei更多精彩文章及讨论，请光临枫下论坛 rolia.net
BEIJING — Ten months ago, Barack Obama was vilified in China for his attack on the hazards of Chinese-made toys. His threat to ban imports of the toys was denounced as "irrational" in the state media, and he was accused of "victimizing" China.
Today, all is forgiven. Just days away from the U.S. election, Mr. Obama has charmed and impressed the Chinese people - if not their government.
Some Chinese are even voicing a bold thought: The election of a visible-minority president would be a triumph for the "American Dream" - and it could never happen in the Chinese system.
"I've only seen him on the TV news, but he looks cool," said Yue Zhouhong, a 34-year-old waitress in Beijing. "As a black person growing up in America, he should be someone who loves peace and equality."
He Xiaodong, a 41-year-old bus driver, praises Mr. Obama for his opposition to the Iraq war. But he also likes the symbolism of the Obama campaign. "If he wins, it will help to erase racial discrimination in the world, because it will be the first time a black man is elected president of a predominantly white country."
Opinion polls and online surveys confirm that Mr. Obama has become the people's favourite in China. One poll, by the respected Horizon research company in Beijing, found that Mr. Obama was supported by 68 per cent of those who expressed an opinion, compared with 32 per cent who preferred his rival, John McCain. (About half of respondents said they were not following the U.S. election closely enough to express a preference.) An online survey, conducted on the China Daily website, found Mr. Obama favoured by 75 per cent of those who voted.
Some Chinese scholars believe Mr. Obama will be less supportive of Chinese exports than would Mr. McCain, since the Democrats are more protectionist than the Republicans. Indeed, during the Democratic primaries this spring, the Illinois senator was sharply critical of China's trade policies.
Yet a series of street interviews in Beijing suggest that most ordinary people are unconcerned about Mr. Obama's China policies. Most are more fascinated by his image, his personality and his physical appearance. In the Chinese media, there have been debates over whether Mr. Obama is as handsome as basketball stars such as Kobe Bryant.
"Obama is a cool guy - he even visited his sick grandmother during the election campaign, which shows how kind he is," said a 35-year-old Chinese IT engineer in Beijing who calls himself Frederick.
China officially has 55 ethnic minorities, but its top Communist leaders have always been drawn from the Han ethnic majority. Following the U.S. example, could a minority ever become China's president?
"It's impossible," Frederick said. "Minorities hardly have any real power in China now. I think the party doesn't have much trust in minorities."
Chinese leaders need a "very strong political background," said a Beijing taxi driver named Guo. "There won't be any change in our long tradition of Han people leading the country," she said.
Chen Ronghua, a graduate student of law at Tsinghua University in Beijing, sees the U.S. election as a message to the world. "If Obama wins, it's like an advertisement for America and its political system," he said. "It shows the great tolerance of the American culture. It's better publicity than any Hollywood movie. It's the best explanation of the American Dream."
He, too, is doubtful that such a phenomenon could happen in China. "It's not possible," he said. "A strong and sophisticated political background is a necessary condition for our leaders. It would be harmful if fresh blood is supplied to the government by people who don't have the proper background. And minorities lack this background."
With a report from Yu Mei更多精彩文章及讨论，请光临枫下论坛 rolia.net