RED, white and blue balloons cascaded down on US and Chinese officials in Beijing's Kempinski hotel yesterday as the American presidential election results were relayed over a massive television screen and guests tucked into hot dogs, hamburgers and Danish pastries.
The Chinese scholars and low level officials who attended warmly welcomed the President's re election, if only for its promise of stability in Sino US relations.
"China always works on the basis that it likes consistency in foreign relations, and with America it's a case of better the devil you know", said a senior western diplomat.
China is at odds with the United States on several issues, including human rights, but despite Beijing's harsh treatment of dissidents, top western officials keep coming to China, and its "most favoured nation" status in US trade policy is not under threat.
The US Secretary of State, Mr Warren Christopher, is to visit the Chinese capital in two weeks in what is widely seen as a curtain raiser for a visit by President Clinton next year.
Japan also welcomed the re election of Mr Clinton as the best hope for stability, despite recent strains in the relationship over trade issues and the US military presence on Okinawa. The Prime Minister, Mr Ryutaro Hashimoto, congratulated the President "from the bottom of my heart".
Mr Clinton will meet Mr Hashimoto, the Chinese President, Mr Jiang Zemin, and other Asian leaders at the annual Asia Pacific Economic Co operation (APEC) summit at Subic Bay in the Philippines later this month.
Indonesia's President Suharto congratulated Mrs Clinton, saying that good relations with the US would strengthen the APEC meeting. An Indonesian Foreign Ministry official said that despite Washington's concerns about human rights and democracy, the personal relationship between the two leaders was very good.
Vietnam greeted the result with relief, and it was also welcomed by South Korea, a US ally.
"MON Cher Bill", Jacques Chirac penned in by hand, next to the more formal "Monsieur le President" at the top of the two page letter of congratulations.
The French, leader praised Mr Clinton's "wise statesmanship, your vision of our common future, your keen sense of the interests of the Western community, but also the warmth, the simplicity, the humanity of your manner". President Clinton's second term would, Mr Chirac said, "guarantee us an American, partner who is friendly, clear sighted, competent, but also generous". In her letter to Mrs Hillary Clinton, Ms Bernadette Chirac gushed: "Jacques and I are really deeply happy at the thoughts that we shall be seeing you regularly.
The French and American Presidents have in common an infectious optimism, an almost puppy like enthusiasm. Aides say the two men genuinely enjoy one another's company - even if tensions between the US and France often run high.
A long list of prickly issues irritale Franco American relations: the Middle East peace process US sanctions on Cuba, Libya and Iran; the severity of US policy towards Iraq; the re election of Dr Boutros Boutros Ghali as UN Secretary General; rivalry in Africa and NATO are only the most serious areas of discord. But the French administration rooted for Mr Clinton, believing Mr Dole would have been a hostage to the US right, and so more intransigent.
Mr Clinton "has a freer hand now, since he cannot stand for president a third time", Mr Herve de Charette, the Foreign Minister, told French radio yesterday. In the Middle East, French officials secretly hope that Mr Clinton will now dare to criticise the Israeli Prime Minister, Mr Benjamin Netanyahu, for failing to abide by agreements.
"The sort of arm twisting which the former US secretary of state, Mr James] Baker did was inconceivable during the campaign," said a French diplomat. "In public, the Americans could not criticise Netanyahu. In private they tell us his policies are suicidal."
France and the US have clashed over co sponsorship of the peace process, proposed by Mr Chirac during his October tour of the Middle East. The US rejected the idea but the French are sticking to their guns. "Don't think we're going to lower the flag," Mr de Charette said.
French diplomats consider their co presidency with the US of the ceasefire committee for southern Lebanon something of a victory. The US opposed a French role when the committee was planned in April. "It was a hard fight," said a diplomat, "but we stuck it out and now the Americans are good sports about it." French sources say the US now accepts French influence in Syria and Lebanon but is still allergic to French involvement in Israeli Palestinian negotiations.
Within the EU, France has taken the initiative in fighting the US Helms Burton and D'Amato Kennedy laws, which will penalise European companies trading with Cuba, Iran and Libya. On this and other issues Mr Clinton is believed to have acted to preempt attacks from the right.
The identity of the next US secretary of state is being watched by Paris with keen interest.