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I am in no way a red china fan, but I would imagine at some level it is almost imperative that competing military and economic powers meet to at least work out the stuff both regard as trivial and define their respective positions. I strongly suspect that this sort of stuff went on with the USSR through the 70's and 80's.

China is going to become a tremendous economic power in the coming years and decades. While I cannot see them breaking the u.s. monopoly on strategic assets (no matter how many nuke plans they steal), they are going to be a huge force in geo-political terms.

I don't know what the right answer is. I think china is a bunch of despotic thugs trying to run a police state minus the rapidly disappearing ideology. I don't know how long they can do it; I don't like seeing u.s. multinational corporation suborning the military interests of the country in the interests of their own profits, nor do I like seeing the PRC purchase the democratic party. I also don't see that simply refusing to talk to this despotic entity solves anything.

It is very good we have an administration that has not demonstrated the willingness to bend to china on the majority of strategic questions that come up. The Later American Republic may be becoming brittle on the internal institutional side, but it has more teeth than the rest of the world combined and the interests of the world's largest companies at heart.

In Nov 2002:

the USS Constellation Carrier Battle Group went on shore -leave to Hong Kong. 8000 American servicemen spent 5 days in HK

The USS Paul Foster , a destroyer paid an official visit to the Chinese port of Qinqdao, to a welcome with bands playing,etc. The Commander of the USS Foster told reporters that the US and China's navies could co-operate to make the Pacific a safer place

After the USS Constellation left HK, a second CVG , under the USS Kitty Hawk paid a 5-day shore leave in HK< with 8000 personel going ashore

The Commander-in-chief of the US Pacific Command, Adm. Fargo, is due to visit China very soon

VP Dick Chenney is due to visit China

SEcy of Defense, Don Rumsfeld is also due to visit China

Pres GW Bush has accepted an invitation to visit China yet again. This will be his third such visits since becoming the President. His first 2 visits wrre on the Oct of 2001 and March, 2002

You are quite right to say that we just can't simply pretend that China does not exist. It is there, and we have to deal with her, one way or the other

I am proud to have voted for Pres Bush, and I will be doubly proud and honored to vote for him again. Pres Bush is proving to be a GREAT LEADER, in fact, one of the greatest president our great nation ever has

"While I cannot see them breaking the u.s. monopoly on strategic assets (no matter how many nuke plans they steal..."

Sorry WoofDog, quite incorrect. No stealing was involved in Chinagate;
treasonous bastard Bill Clinton accepted cash from John Huang, Johnny Chung
and Charlie Trie for all of our nuclear secrets.