Here’s the scoop on Geithner’s ties to China, from an article published in China News (中国新闻网）:

他与盖特纳的父亲彼得·盖特纳有过12年亲密合作的经历。从1984至1996年间，他们共同为在中国推广现代经济学教育而努力，其中包括“福特培训计划”，“当盖特纳还年轻的时候，我在中国见到了他，但他就职纽约联邦储备银行后就没有遇到了。”

[Princeton University Professor Zou Zhizhuang] and Geithner’s father spent 12 years working closely together. From 1984 to 1996, they worked very hard together to promote the education of modern economics, including for Ford’s training plans. “When Geithner was young, I saw him in China. But after he went to the Federal Reserve in New York, I never ran into him again.”

也因为这些经历，盖特纳相比其他高级官员具有更多的国际经验优势，有的媒体甚至把他称为“中国通”。

Because of this history, Geithner has the advantage of more international experience compared to many other high officials, so some of the media have called him an “old China hand.”

资料显示，盖特纳从小随在福特基金会任职的父亲在亚洲和非洲生活，曾学习日语和汉语，拥有达特茅斯大学政府与亚洲研究的学士学位。之后他在约翰斯·霍普金斯大学高等国际研究学院获得国际经济与东亚研究的硕士学位。1985 年在基辛格公司也是亚洲事务专家。

According to records, from an early age Geithner lived with his Ford Foundation employed father in Asia and Africa. He has studied Japanese and Chinese, and received a bachelors degree from Dartmouth University in government and Asian studies. Afterwards, he received a master’s degree in East Asian studies from Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies. In 1985, he served as the Asian Affairs Expert in [Henry] Kissinger’s company

Update: In Barack Obama’s speech today, introducing Timothy Geithner and the rest of the economic team, he mentions Geithner’s international experience in Asia and his understanding of Chinese (and Japanese) as part of his qualifications:

Tim’s extensive international experience makes him uniquely suited for this work. Growing up partly in Africa and having lived and worked throughout Asia; having served as Under Secretary of the Treasury for International Affairs — one of many roles in the international arena; and having studied both Chinese and Japanese, Tim understands the language of today’s international markets in more ways than one.

But what’s the take on Obama in China? How does China view Obama’s presidency, after eight years of the Bush administration where Chinese exports were embraced?

Of course, there is some concern on the trade side. A number of websites, including Hexun and Sina, cite a rather cautious quote from Obama regarding his stance on China:

中国既不是朋友，也不是敌人。他们是竞争者

(rough translation: China is not a friend, nor an enemy. The Chinese are competitors.)

Indeed, the article from Hexun, which includes in its title “The pressure is great for Chinese foreign trade”, suggests that Obama will put dampen the foreign trade market, which previously had been such a runaway locomotive under Bush. Of course, things have already slowed down. The article mentions a letter Obama wrote to a textile organization in the US, where he promises to pressure China to float the RMB and reduce exports. On the other hand, the author suggests some common ground for the two countries, namely working together to help resolve the current financial crisis.

As for Sina, the view is more positive than you’d think as well. The author points out Obama’s reputation for pragmatism — meaning that he would always act prudently when considering any policy changes towards China.

He reminds us that Obama spent four of his formative years in Indonesia, leaving him with a positive impression of Asia. He also once visited Karachi, and was shocked by the poverty and lingering landscape of feudalism that gripped many of the citizens there. These and other experiences have influenced Obama, and helped him to make better foreign policy decisions.

He also mentions Obama’s tendency to surround himself with the best and the brightest advisors, including Jeffrey Bader of the Brookings Institution, who is described as one of today’s preeminent China experts.

Additionally, this blog provides the translation of a discussion about Obama’s policy from Shanghai:

Despite this, in light of the large number of Obama’s China advisors with realist positions, and even more due to the fact that America and China’s common interests outweigh their differences, Obama’s “not a friend nor enemy” and “competitor” strategic position towards China is bound to be discarded about half a year after taking office, just like what happened early on in the Clinton and Bush administrations.  His China policy will gradually become more rational and realistic.  Compared with Bush’s current China policy, when the time comes, the differences in Obama’s policy will mainly appear in issues regarding America and China’s economic relationship.

So, what’s the verdict? Certainly, there’s going to be pressure on China — but, on the other hand, China sees Obama as a steady hand who, when it comes to governance, will, to borrow a phrase from a Spike Lee film, do the right thing.

UPDATE: This story on the World also talks about how China views Obama…mentions that people are excited about the election as a historic moment, but also cautious in their concern that he may be more protectionist.