China Update

Notes about China:  China is becoming a major economic and political force in the world, with a population of 1.3 billion, and an economy that is expanding rapidly.  The most recent news stories about China pertain to the democracy rally  in Hong Kong, commemorating the 15th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square crackdown; Chinese allegations that the USA is meddling with China-Taiwan relations; tension over the new Taiwanese president's position on Taiwanese independence; and news that China may be rethinking its military strategy, in response to their observations of US strategy and tactics in the Iraq war. 

It is difficult for those of us outside the political loop to know what is really going on with US-China relations.  The Chinese embassy website recently ran an article  about a phone call between President George Bush and President Hu Jintao, stating that China was reassured of our commitment to the One China Policy.  But the article was published at the same time that the Xinhau news agency reported  that the USA is interfering in China's internal affairs. 

Indeed, the China-Taiwan issue continues to be the overriding factor in defining US-China relations.  In this CC post, I describe some of the hopeful signs that China might be moving -- slowly, in their own way -- toward a more democratic internal organization, and conclude with some comments about the ongoing difficulties.   Read the rest at The Rest of the Story.