I'm a little more sanguine than you are about this. China needs to revalue their currency. They should also stop threatening their neighbors. I have no doubt that Bush, or any other republican would use MFN status as a lever to get them to behave.
It is no longer a politically viable lever...unless the Prez was willing to "spend some political capital". And I doubt he will have enough...let alone the inclination...to do the job. Hence, he won't even make the attempt. He'll just smile and pretend this is what we always wanted all along.
"I'm a little more sanguine than you are about this. China needs to revalue their currency. They should also stop threatening their neighbors. I have no doubt that Bush, or any other republican would use MFN status as a lever to get them to behave."
Surely I agree with your statement. But China will do what China wants to do. Unlike the Islamic world, they have the means to dominate much of the worlds markets if they play their cards right. What you and I would have them do, may not be in their best interests, lets remember, by "their" I am not speaking for the civilian population of China but those in power. It is at best a real sticky deal. I don't have the answers as what course should be plotted for the future on this issue.