US election candidates: Who Asia prefers
Americans vote for their next president on Tuesday. Far beyond US borders, the race is being closely watched, by the discerning analyst as well as the man on the street. Much is at stake.
China
Many prefer Trump, opinion polls show
Chong Koh Ping, China Correspondent In Beijing
China is arguably one of the few countries in Asia where Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump is publicly its preferred US president, based on opinion surveys among the Chinese and social media postings by netizens.
But along with the rising odds of a win by Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton, there is also a growing recognition among Chinese foreign policy experts and policymakers that her presidency might not hurt the country as much as feared.
A survey of 3,300 respondents by the Global Times tabloid in March showed 54 per cent preferred Mr Trump, while the rest disliked him.
Singapore
Businessmen fear Trump will sink TPP
Lee Xin En
With the outcome of next week's United States presidential elections hard to call, many businessmen in Singapore are putting their investment decisions on ice.
Many are concerned especially about how the election result will affect the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), a free trade pact signed by 12 countries that together account for 40 per cent of world trade. They include the US, Japan and Singapore.
Mr Wilson Teo, executive director of Teo Garments, said whether the TPP is passed by the US government will be a "very significant part" of his business considerations.
Taiwan
Clinton viewed as more sympathetic to Taipei
Chong Koh Ping, China Correspondent
Taipei wants to continue enjoying Washington's backing in security and international affairs, and a Hillary Clinton presidency seems more likely to provide for that.
The Democratic presidential candidate's good understanding of cross-strait issues and tough attitude towards Beijing are seen as a plus for Taipei, amid worsening China-Taiwan ties.
A Clinton administration is more likely to be sympathetic to Taipei, as Mrs Clinton is a well-known critic of China's authoritarian political system and has praised Taiwan for being a model of democracy.
Japan
Clinton win will bring more comfort
Walter Sim, Japan Correspondent In Tokyo
Ask any Japanese man or woman on the street and chances are, most are hoping that former United States secretary of state Hillary Clinton will triumph over property mogul Donald Trump to win the US presidential election next week.
After all, the former top US foreign affairs official was seen to be instrumental behind the US' pivot to Asia, which helped to hedge against China's dominance of the region.
But the Japanese are hardly going to bring out the beer and shout "kanpai" even if Mrs Clinton wins.
South Korea
Clinton stands for security, stability
Chang May Choon, South Korea Correspondent
Most South Koreans will be rooting for Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton in Tuesday's elections, as they think Mr Trump is trouble.
Analysts say Mrs Clinton, familiar to South Koreans as she has made many official visits to the country, is deemed a better choice then her Republican rival Donald Trump as she supports the United States-Korea security alliance and will follow through with existing policies.
The most important among these is the deployment of the Terminal High-Altitude Area Defence anti-missile system, which protects South Korea from North Korea's nuclear threat.
Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand
Stances on trade and Islam make Asean nations wary
Francis Chan, Indonesia Bureau Chief In Jakarta
Two issues stand out for Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand as they scrutinise the policy leanings of the candidates vying to be the next US president - Mrs Hillary Clinton's resistance to the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and Mr Donald Trump's fiery anti-Islamic stance.
There are more than 220 million Muslims living in Indonesia and Malaysia. It therefore comes as no surprise that very few in these nations are rooting for Mr Trump, given his anti-Muslim rhetoric, including a call last year for a ban on Muslims entering the United States.
Although he later backpedalled on that issue, he subsequently made calls for "extreme vetting" of Muslims and has claimed that Muslims in New Jersey had cheered the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
The Philippines
Neither will be ideal but Clinton is 'a better match'
Raul Dancel Philippines Correspondent In Manila
Whoever becomes the United States' next president will have to deal with the Philippines' volatile leader, Mr Rodrigo Duterte, and it won't be a pretty sight, analysts say.
Mrs Hillary Clinton will likely pursue President Barack Obama's "pivot" to Asia, which will set her against Mr Duterte's wish to rid the Philippines of US troops in two years.
Mr Donald Trump, meanwhile, shares Mr Duterte's short fuse and cocky temperament. That can quickly set off a misunderstanding that may, in turn, plunge already frayed relations between Manila and Washington even deeper down the diplomatic abyss.
India
Election outcome will not alter bilateral ties: Analysts
Nirmala Ganapathy India Bureau Chief In New Delhi
United States presidential elections have always been of interest to India but the ongoing contest has probably captured the attention of Indians the most, even as analysts predict a continuity in ties under a new US administration.
Indian television channels have covered the race intensively this year, including broadcasting the debates live. There have been a number of references to India through the campaign. US presidential candidate Donald Trump even professed his love for all Hindus - the majority community in India - while speaking in Hindi in an outreach to the Indian-American community, whose members continue to have strong links to India.
Still, many in India are more comfortable with the idea of Mrs Hillary Clinton in the White House.
Europe
Most prefer Clinton, with Trump victory seen as nightmare
Jonathan Eyal Europe Correspondent In London
For most Europeans, a victory for Mr Donald Trump in the US presidential elections would be a nightmare come true, since he seems to embody everything Europe dreads about its future, all rolled into one outsized personality.
Mr Trump's brash campaigning style and claims that just because he is a supposedly successful businessman, he can also be a great president, as well as all the props which go with him - such as his private jet, bling and the dismissive language towards his opponents - remind Europeans of their own populist politicians, now on the rise in almost every European country.
Not many European populists can boast of Mr Trump's wealth, but quite a few of those who currently challenge Europe's mainstream politics are resorting to the same campaigning techniques as his, the same appeal to emotion rather than reason, and slogans rather than facts. Should Mr Trump make it to the White House, the impact on European politics would be profound; the populists' argument would be that, if a majority of US voters can entrust their future to someone like Mr Trump, so can the Europeans.
Middle East
Neither candidate offers reassurance on engaging region
Jonathan Eyal, Europe Correspondent
Few regions of the world need United States re-engagement and support more than the Middle East. Yet no Middle Eastern government has a clear idea of what the next US administration is likely to do in the region. And, for once, that includes even Israel, notwithstanding the Jewish state's extraordinarily intimate affinity with the US.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has never made a secret of the fact that he supports Republican candidates in US elections. Still, Israel's leader has observed a deafening silence about Mr Donald Trump, largely because Mr Trump was so outlandish in his statements and behaviour that even Israel's political elite - otherwise enthusiastic about anything or anyone American - felt the need to distance itself from the Republican nominee.
And equally unusually, Israel did not feature highly in the electoral campaign. Mr Trump, who met Mr Netanyahu in late September, referred to the Israeli Prime Minister only once during the campaign's televised debates, by claiming that "Bibi" was "not a happy camper" about the nuclear deal which the US signed with Iran, hardly a revelation.
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