The subject of U.S.-China ties is hot now and no wonder, with so many divisive issues on the agenda. The question is, which issues should matter to the U.S. and which ones should we let slide? Max Boot offers his cheat-sheet:
'That doesnâ??t mean we should engage in needless and self-destructive confrontations with China over global warming and currency, but that also doesnâ??t mean we should mindlessly kowtow to Chinaâ??s every whim. As I argued in this Weekly Standard article in 2005, we should pursue a balanced approach to China, tough on security and human-rights issues but accommodating on trade and currency policy.
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The interesting thing to note about Boot's preferences is that his points of emphasis (human rights and security) are the matters that don't actually impact American lives, while the things he wants to let slide (especially currency) are Chinese policies that do have a good deal of impact on the lives of Americans. China's human rights record is an internal matter, whereas her currency valuation is an international matter of fairly large significance for the U.S. economy. Why, I wonder, does one trump the other?
(AP Photo)