Why Tim Will Win It.(International Edition; THE CHINA BRIEF)(Tim Geithner on U.S.-China political relations)(Brief article)

Byline: Adam B. Kushner

Under George W. Bush power flowed away from the State Department, which never held the president's ear for long; and the Treasury Department, led by Sinophile Hank Paulson, took charge of China policy. Today, Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner speaks fluent Mandarin, and he wants to hold on to the reins. But Hillary Clinton wants to reconsolidate foreign policymaking at the State Department, and she covets Asia.

Clinton took advantage of Geithner's many worries--all about the financial crisis--to establish herself as the executive branch's lead China hand on her first official visit to Beijing. She made policy and returned last week with a raft of headlines--for humanizing the ...