Mr Bush sought to play down speculation that he had been forced to rein in Mr Rumsfeld on the matter of US-China military contacts. If it enhances our relationship, it may make sense. If it's a useless exercise and it doesn't make the relationship any better, then we won't do that. Hours later, the US-China relationship was on the boil again when Mr Bush accused Beijing of conducting acts of persecution, including the arrest and abuse of Christians, Muslims, followers of Tibet's exiled Dalai Lama and adherents of the Falun Gong movement. In remarks certain to further strain ties, Mr Bush said the repression was intensifying, as a result of weakness and fear within China's leadership.
China aspires to national strength and greatness.
But these acts of persecution are acts of fear, and therefore of weakness. Policy analysts say there is a deep split within the Administration over how to deal with the world's most populous country. What people are trying to do is to make policy without there being a consensus within the Administration about what our policy should be.