China's Foreign Ministry said President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao phoned Obama to congratulate him. Vice President Xi Jinping, who is to begin taking over this week in China's once-a-decade leadership transition, phoned Vice President Joe Biden to congratulate him, according to a report of the Associated Press. A spokesman of the Syrian National Council, expressed hope that the election victory would free Obama to do more to support those trying to oust Syrian President Bashar Assad. "We hope this victory for President Obama will make him free more to make the right decision to help freedom and dignity in Syria and all over the world," SNC spokesman George Sabra said on the sidelines of an opposition conference in the Qatari capital of Doha. --SPA 12:45 LOCAL TIME 09:45 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/1046420