[layman]

China has a Muslim population of about 200,000,000. They would be wise to get on the right side of this fight because terrorism will be in their back yard as well ... it's only a matter of when.

If they are entertaining the thought of occupying any 'Arab' lands, they should keep in mind that, according to the Islamic fundamentalists, they are also 'Infidels'. Worse for them is the fact that they, not being 'of the book' (ie; not Christians or Jews), aren't even given the opportunity to convert to Islam according to the Quran. They are simply to be killed in the 'Jihad'.

They will regret getting in bed with Bin Laden ... if that is their intention.

[harpseal]

yes they do have a Muslim population of 200,000,000 out of a total population of somewhere around 1,300,000,000. They are also a nation where the freedom to act for their Islamic population is very limited. In the short term they gain the cooperation of the Islamicists in subduing that population and consolidating their control within China. at the expense of a possible long term confrontation which they will probably have to face no matter what.

while I agree it is in their long term best interst to get on board with the USA in the war against this Islamicist threat what they will do is entirely their decision. I note that the Soviet Union allied with Germany to dismember Poland and take the baltic states and then suffered greatly in World War II. Had Stalin made it clear to Hitler that he would join with England and France in opposing the Third Reich's ambitions in Poland who knows what would have ensued.

MY point is we do not know what the PRC is going to do covertly and there are some rather nasty signals that are coming out about them. We ignore these signals at our peril.

Stay well - stay safe - Stay armed - Yorktown