China In Limbo

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The myth of Limbo is an intriguing one, of unresolved decision and unknown futures. I find the notion strangely similar to the current course of China. On the one hand, China is the last powerful Communist regime, but on the other it has been forced to adopt many business-friendly policies to bring in capital investments. China is a nation which will not countenance any sort of organized dissent (witness the crackdown on Falun Gong), yet China feels compelled to appease Muslim extremists in order to continue trade agreements to get much-needed oil. China wishes to become a regional hegemony, yet has agreed to treaties which put critical threats on its Southern flank, at the same time alienating regional Asian governments which could have been valuable allies. China, to describe its predicament, is in Limbo.

The significance in terms of American politics is simple, and drives my thought for the day:

What policies would the next American President pursue to increase the stability of the Asian continent, and to improve the American position in terms of security and opposing the Jihadists? Assuming, of course, that certain leading candidates can be bothered to address the crisis.