> As it turns out, backing the losing side in a civil war does not ingratiate you with the winner. You could say the same thing with the west's relation with c

> As it turns out, backing the losing side in a civil war does not ingratiate you with the winner. You could say the same thing with the west's relation with china and vietnam and almost every other non-western nation on earth. It's difficult to form a deep relationship with china or russia or vietnam or anyone else when you back the losing side. Is there a bigger thorn in the side of the sino-american relationship than taiwan?