Businesses in the U.S. have a lot at stake in China. It is, after all, the most populous country in the world. One reason President Bush was persuaded to moderate his comments about the hostage taking was pressure from pro-business interests. I'm sure its vastly more important than I understand. But I wonder what would have happened if some little country with no vast market potential had done the same thing.
Every human being is precious.
The fate of the spy plane crew was very important. Also, the basic facts about the encounter between the surveillance aircraft and the Chinese jet aren't really news. As Rumsfeld pointed out last week, the military already knew what happened, based on previous incidents. Thumping is when a jet flies beneath a slower airplane, then swoops up in front of it, causing a wake that rattles the slower airplane. During these exchanges, Rumsfeld said, it is common for the pilots to trade internationally recognized hand signals.