Politics

World Weighs In On Bush Victory

By CBSNews.com staff CBSNews.com staff

December 14, 2000 / 8:50 AM EST / CBS

President-elect George W. Bush received messages of congratulations Thursday from leaders around the world, who promised a close working relationship. However, comments in newspaper editorials and by citizens showed worries about what will happen to the U.S. economy and foreign policy under the new, deeply divided government.

People in many countries gathered around TV sets to watch live coverage of Vice President Al Gore's concession and Bush's victory speech. Both men used parts of their Wednesday night adresses to try to reassure the world that it should remain confident in the stability and democratic leadership of the only remaining superpower.

"I say to our fellow members of the world community, let no one see this contest as a sign of American weakness. The strength of American democracy is shown most clearly through the difficulties it can overcome," Gore said.

Said Bush: "Together, we'll have a bipartisan foreign policy true to our values and true to our friends. And we will have a military equal to every challenge, and superior to every adversary."

That didn't assure everyone overseas.

"I don't know how all this will affect Japan," said Mari Hoshiba, 23, an office worker in Tokyo. "But it seems to me that with the nation divided Bush could have problems governing."

Japanese Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori, German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Australian Prime Minister John Howard went out of their way to congratulate Bush and promise to continue their countries' close U.S. relations.

"The decisive contribution to the reunification of Germany that the U.S. made under your father's leadership is anchored deep in Germans' consciousness," Schroeder said.

In his telegram of congratulations, President Kim Dae-jung of South Korea said: "I hope that we can strengthen our joint efforts to settle peace on the Korean peninsula and end the Cold War while retaining strong U.S.-South Korea security alliance."

There is concern in the Middle East that the United States will be less engaged in trying to resolve conflicts around the world, reports CBS News Correspondent Tom Fenton. Arab commentators, however, believe a Bush administration will be more even-handed in the Arab-Israeli dispute.

Chinese President Jiang Zemin sent Bush a telegram saying he looked forward to working with him. In Taiwan, President Chen Shui-bian said his country hopes to develop closer relations with the United States under Bush. And the Philippines' leader, Joseph Estrada, congratulated Bush for his victory and Gore "for giving a good fight."

n Taipei, a leading 24-hour cable news channel, TVBS, played tapes of speeches and debates in which Bush mentioned Taiwan. Of special interest was a speech in which Bush said that if China attacks Taiwan, the United States must come to the island's defense.

China and Taiwan have been governed separately for a half-century, but China says Taiwan is a renegade province. It has vowed to retake the island by force if necessary.

Bush's support for Taiwan has created misgivings in China, but many people in the world's most populous country expect little change overall in U.S.-Chinese relations.

"Bush is a little tougher on the Taiwan issue, but there shouldn't really be any big problem," said Zhang Huawei, an office worker, as he read a newspaper on a sidewalk signboard.

In Afghanistan, the Taliban militia that rules most of the country welcomed Bush and issued a plea for a new, friendly relationship.

The United States and the Taliban have been at odds over the presence in Afghanistan of suspected terrorist Osama bin Laden, believed by Washington to be running a global terrorist network from his bases there. The U.S. has spearheaded U.N. sanctions against the Taliban.

In Denmark, Foreign Minister Niels Helveg Petersen said he was satisfied with Bush's commitment to the NATO alliance and the U.S. ability "to step in with the needed necessary means when there are international crises."

In Sydney, The Australian newspaper said the protracted race had no winner, only losers.

In a front-page editorial, the Sydney Morning Herald said: "There will be American-style pageantry, and grand speeches about the best democracy in the world. But the myths have gone. The masks are off. The people have seen the underbelly of their politics, and they know."

Others worried about what will happen next in the slowing U.S. economy, whose imports and phenomenal growth helped the Asian region out of its 1997-1998 financial crisis.

"When the U.S. economy is in bad shape, it affects our economy and my business will get hurt. That's what I am worried about," said Cho Eun-young, 30, a clothes shop owner in Seoul, South Korea.