I think the US and Japan should team up. We cannot let China win!
They build the ships, and we'll supply the marines.
What about India/ Russia and the other nations eying manned moon programs...?I think the other intriguing factor is that as more nations move into space and the technology leaks (Poor word choice!), more second-tier nations will be able to consider moon ventures or similarly ambitious space exploration.
It may not be the most exclusive club in town for much longer..we may be about to have a very interesting decade.
ANyway, having seen Firefly, I can say that a Chinese-US alliance may have a lot to offer (Including really funky ships...).