Big tests for Obama ahead

Sino-US relations need to be better managed to control differences and promote greater trust for their smooth development

Barack Obama's re-election came on the back of a slight economic recovery. But after all the hullabaloo surrounding the election in the United States, the internal and external challenges facing the Obama administration remain grim.

Domestically, huge deficits, high unemployment and the moribund economy are the administration's biggest headaches. To solve these problems, the Obama administration will have to work with the Republicans. However, the extent to which the US is now polarized can be seen in the emergence of the two candidates' campaign promises, which reflect the different views of the Democratic and Republican parties on the role of government, public welfare, healthcare, taxes, abortion, same sex marriages and other issues.