From The Taipei Times (link):
China has come a long way in dealing with the outside world. The difference between its more refined diplomatic skills today and the heavy-handed tactics of the revolutionary past is like that between heaven and earth.
This evolution has deep historical roots, and may bring good news and bad to the Asia-Pacific region. In the forthcoming summit between Chinese President Hu Jintao (胡錦濤) and US President George W. Bush, such change may be highly significant.
The motto of Beijing’s current foreign policy is “Never go it alone when doing unpleasant business.” There are three variations on this theme.
First, always take a partner when opposing someone. In June last year, China joined the US in rejecting the addition of new members to the UN Security Council, which included Japan, a close ally of Washington. The reason for the Bush administration’s objection was of course not Tokyo but Berlin, which was in the same package of applicants.
