The reason for Mr. Reagan s success was that he made the tough choices. He even compromised his second priority, reducing the power of the American domestic bureaucracy, to achieve his prime goal, and also developed closer ties to China, a nation he did not like both much to the dismay of most of his close supporters. But that is what great leadership does. Unlike later day self-styled Reaganites, he did not war against every world wrong but accommodated to control the greater evil. Some even maintain he would confront Russia today.
China is more aggressive and is much more prickly in taking offense.
America s historic friendship with Taiwan is a continuing source of friction. Democracy is non-existent and human rights nil. China is even still communist and has invaded neighbor India and is threatening the Philippines over disputed islands. It supports sinister North Korea in its dispute with the U.S. over its nuclear capacity. It even does not have much of an aggressive missile force, only 19 of them, although it did threaten that one could reach Los Angeles when the United States sent a naval task force into the Taiwan Straights.