"President Reagan for negotiating with the USSR during his second term, right?"
At least Reagan negotiated from a position of power. What power do we have with the Chicoms, the threat to force WalMart to close?
I think we do have a certain amount of power, although I wish it were more obviously. We have a very symbiotic relationship with them at this point which is better than nothing. They need us to keep their economy healthy.
In any case, we certainly can not afford to tick them off right this moment, so it's not a bad idea to keep talking, even if it is a somewhat standoffish relationship. When you think strategically, I believe we have to take care of the most aggressive and dangerous threats in the ME first.
Unfortunately, the Chinese make better Communists than the Russians ever did. Most of them are perfectly happy to have no political rights as long as their government keeps them somewhat well-off and doesn't appear weak to the West like the Manchu Dynasty did.