Geoff Dyer reports in the Financial Times:
Sarah Palin’s speech to the Republican National Convention may have received little attention in China, but the news of her choice as John McCain’s running mate has attracted considerable interest.
While Chinese media had appeared more curious about Barack Obama’s presidential candidacy than Mr McCain’s, the appearance of Ms Palin on the campaign trail has shifted the focus of coverage. In recent days, Ms Palin has become one of the most popular keywords on Chinese search engines.
”To China, either Obama becoming the first black president or Palin becoming the first female vice-president are equally exciting,” said Shen Dingli, professor of American Studies at Shanghai-based Fudan University.
Prof Shen was quick to note: “We do not yet have enough information to assess Sarah Palin right now. But so far, from her debut, I think she impressed people with being very stable without any noticeable mistakes.”
