Our China problem

Wretchard has a typically thoughtful post on the rise of China as a world economic/military/political power, and our current lack of policy engagement on this front. He says:

There’s a widespread body of opinion that sees America’s strength itself as the source of world problems and welcomes the ascendancy of China and other nations — even of multilateral institutions like the United Nations — in relative power to the US. In that universe the best course in nearly every crisis is for America to do nothing, but only after pre-emptively apologizing.

Yes, there's such a body of opinion, and it is so widespread that it covers our current Republican White House - the people who are, in the Pentagon and the State Department, supposed to be formulating policy. John McCain seems more tuned in to Asian issues generally - not surprising, given his biography - but I'm not sure he quite "gets it", either. The rise of China is an issue Republicans need to focus on, because the Democrats are not going to do it for you.