By: Editorial Desk

The Yomiuri Shimbun

Barack Obama was elected the first black president in US history on Tuesday (November 4) after defeating Republican John McCain by a wide margin. He will be sworn in as the nation's 44th president on January 20.

Some observers were skeptical about opinion polls ahead of the election showing Obama leading McCain as US voters have historically been seen as unlikely to vote for a black candidate in a country where power has tended to be overwhelmingly concentrated among whites. In the end, Obama extended his reach, including into traditional Republican strongholds.

By doing so, he opened a new chapter in the nation's history- one in which society has shown itself able to transcend racial barriers.

The United States is currently in the midst of an unprecedented financial crisis, while its international standing as a military superpower has been tested since the Iraq war began. Revitalising the United States was therefore a central theme throughout the presidential campaign.

During this gruelling process, Obama appealed for 'change' in the United States. To drive home this point he used his oratory skills to spread the word to every sector of society, across the classes, and particularly succeeded in moving younger voters.

The public has now entrusted Obama with the task of guiding the United States in the future.

But Obama, 47, was elected to the US Senate just four years ago, and has little administrative experience. While the public has high expectations of his political skills, there also are some concerns.

The fundamental question is on what issues and how Obama will fulfill this promise of 'change'.

Clear economic policies essential

Obama has been strongly critical of the administration of US President George W Bush, especially for what he says has been the economic mismanagement of the past eight years.

He has insisted he will address economic disparities by increasing tax on the wealthiest, oil companies and others, and cutting taxes for the middle class. He also proposed policies popular with the public, including expanding health insurance and improving employment prospects.

The most immediate task is to stop the US-triggered financial turmoil from escalating further. So far there is no prospect for an early end to the crisis, although the US government has promoted the rehabilitation of financial institutions through the Emergency Economic Stabilisation Act of 2008.

Obama has yet to lay out a concrete formula for solving the current financial malaise, though he clarified his position by approving the injection of public funds into financial institutions on condition that borrowers are protected and the responsibility for managing affected financial institutions is made clear.

A summit of the Group of 20 economies to discuss the global economic crisis is scheduled to be held in Washington on November 15. It might be a good idea for Obama to arrange to exchange views on this matter with the leaders of these countries.

The US economy looks to have entered a recession, and it is therefore essential that action is taken to reinvigorate the crisis-stricken economy. Although Obama has said he would implement additional public works projects, he needs to present more firm policies.

On international trade, there are concerns that the United States could shift toward protectionist policies.

The Democratic Party, which draws strong support from labour unions, secured majorities in both chambers of Congress in Tuesday's election. It would be easy for old-fashioned protectionism to gain traction in such an environment.

Obama has stated that the North American Free Trade Agreement and US-South Korean Free Trade Agreement should be renegotiated and has adopted 'fairness' as a slogan, prompting fears about the possible introduction of import restrictions.

Keeping Iraq, Afghanistan stable

The president-elect also faces a myriad of challenges in the fields of diplomacy and national security.

Obama has pledged to withdraw US combat units from Iraq within 16 months of his inauguration in January, while still ensuring that nation's stability. How will he meet this pledge?

In Afghanistan, the international terrorist organisation Al-Qaida and radical Islamic militias have intensified armed assaults on multinational forces. If Obama wants to shift the United States' focus to the war on terrorism, he must coordinate his policies closely with the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, which has dispatched security forces to Afghanistan, and the United Nations, which is engaged in reconstruction work.

Other urgent tasks include dealing wisely with politically unstable Pakistan and Iran's nuclear programme, as well as Middle East peace efforts.

The Obama camp has many China specialists in its team of Asian diplomacy experts.

It is essential that the United States forge close, cooperative relations with China if the two nations want to effectively tackle global warming and various food and energy problems.

Obama is likely to strengthen not only strategic dialogue between the two nations, but also Sino-US ties in multinational diplomatic arenas, including the United Nations.

Japan-US alliance still vital

Japan, for its part, must take advantage of the change of US government to recalibrate the nation's relations with the United States, with a view to bolstering the alliance between the two nations.

Although Obama has stressed that he would place importance on Asia, he has never said outright he will emphasise the Japan-US alliance.

It is crucial for Prime Minister Taro Aso to hold talks with Obama as soon as possible to confirm the importance of cooperative Japan-US ties.

International efforts to make North Korea give up its nuclear programme entered a crucial stage after the Bush administration removed North Korea from the list of terrorism-sponsoring nations last month. It is not yet clear how an Obama administration will handle the North Korean issue.

The Japanese government must study how Obama will deal with North Korea and try to find a comprehensive solution to the country's nuclear and missile programs, as well as to the abduction by Pyongyang of this nation's citizens.