Xinhuanet Online (Extracted from "US hails China's second manned space mission", 13 October 2005)

"The United States congratulated China on launching its second manned space mission and welcomed any effort to make peaceful use of space. 'We obviously congratulate China on the successful launch of its second manned space mission,' Deputy State Department spokesman Adam Ereli said."

[Ed: Innovations from China in early Medieval Europe laid most of the engineering and scientific foundations on which the enlightenment philosophers and scientists could build as they emerged from the censorship of the Church. More recently, Chinese-, Korean- and Indian-born entrepreneurs were responsible for half of Silicon Valley start-ups. Today, more than half the papers in the heavyweight American scientific journals are by Asian-born scientists. The number of Chinese patents will overhaul those of America by 2020. China fell into a slumber in the 15th century when an Imperial edict forbade international trade and communications. It is now waking up, and America and Europe had better get their educational and scientific houses in order if our grandchildren are not to be among the nouveaux pauvres.]