US drifting from China in space

In light of this space-related gridlock involving the US and China, Joan Johnson-Freese, professor of National Security Affairs at the US Naval War College in Rhode Island, labeled Bolden's trip as little more than a gesture.

"The good news is that Bolden went to China and the Obama administration is far more open to working with China than the [George W] Bush administration was; the bad news is that I do not think the US is any closer to substantively working with China on space than it was during the Bush administration," said Johnson-Freese.

"The problems are twofold: the entire US civil space program is still in an upheaval since [the Constellation program] was canceled - a cancellation likely inevitable due to the goals-resources mismatch - and there are still a large number of legislators who do not want to work with China on much of anything. So regardless of good intentions, the visit seemed more of a gesture than a step forward," writes Peter J. Brown in The Asia Times.

The Brown article provides insight on the drift in space between China and the United States. The article is complimented by another offered by Gunjan Singh at the Institute of Defence Studies and Analysis. Reposted here is this Blogger's view. My 2009 Christmas wish may be the only viable diplomatic route.