Chinese president Hu Jintao, standing on the south lawn of the White House with President Bush, was heckled by a protester objecting to China's persecution of Falun Gong.(Brief article)

Chinese president Hu Jintao, standing on the south lawn of the White House with President Bush, was heckled by a protester objecting to China's persecution of Falun Gong. This moment captured something of the contradiction of modern China. On one hand, its powerful military and growing economy make it impossible to ignore and undesirable to alienate. On the other, it brutally suppresses political opposition, denies its people freedom of religion and expression, and acts irresponsibly on a range of security issues--as witness its insouciance over Iran and North Korea's nuclear programs and its bellicosity toward Taiwan. Dealing with China, then, is no easy thing. But President Bush has gotten it basically right. He knows ...