On the international stage, academics and journalists in Hong Kong, Macao and mainland China organized delegations to visit and observe the election. James Lilley, former director of the American Institute in Taiwan noted of the election that the Washington Post ran one photograph of Ma Ying-jeou celebrating his victory and one of dissidents being arrested in mainland China, emphasizing the political chasm between Taiwan and mainland China.
國際方面，港澳與大陸的學界及新聞界人士有多組人馬組成團隊來台觀戰；曾任美國在台協會駐台北辦事處主席李潔明則在觀察後指出，華盛頓郵報同時刊登了馬英九慶祝勝選以及中共逮捕異議分子的照片，凸顯出兩岸的政治發展落差。