As Barack Obama and Mitt Romney round up their final presidential debate in the United States, many here in China are also closely following the event.

Quite a number of Chinese students are taking an interest in American politics these days. For them the presidential debates serve as a good window into the United States, and they're eager to share their own opinions on what they see.

"No matter who next president...no major change in China policy," said Peng Ruizhi, a student.

"I've been following all the debates. I want to know the candidates' political views and their thoughts on China," said Ren Jia. "But personally I don't think the China bashing will really change Sino-US ties dramatically. After all, the relationship isn't based solely on a few debates."

These first year students in their masters degree programs in international relations say they enjoy discussing current affairs among peers, because they want to be more involved in politics.

"My parents don't really watch the debates but lots of my friends do," said Yin Yuyu. "I think this is a good way for us to participate. It's interesting to learn America's external policies, and China can also update its own foreign policies accordingly."

And that sentiment seems to continue on the web. A number of major Chinese websites have carried extensive coverage of the election - bringing in depth analysis, charts, photos and instant video updates. According to a survey over the summer, 36 percent of Chinese people said they were paying close attention to this election, up 19 percent from 2008.

And topics related to the U.S. election are drawing heavy traffic on social networking sites such as Sina Weibo - with hundreds of comments following each relevant feed.

Netizens' opinions on the two candidates vary greatly, but they all share a keenness to join the discussion. This may be part of a broader trend too. Experts say Chinese people have grown more conscious of world affairs, and that their attitudes have also become more open."

Zhou Yongsheng, professor in China Foreign Affairs university, said, "There are more Chinese people watching the American election now than there were four years ago. People now understand the U.S.' own political development will largely influence China too."

And, although the words have been tough, it's actually a good thing that China has been mentioned so many times in those debates. That means China is now too important to be ignored."

Zhou added that no matter who becomes the next president, he does not believe they will work to contain China as the debates have hinted. Instead, he expects they will continue to seek growth through cooperation.

(CNTV.cn October 23, 2012)