The track record so far says it’s the other way around: cooperation in space does not necessarily lead to cooperation on Earth (Apollo-Soyuz didn’t keep the Soviets from invading Afghanistan, or stationing SS-20s in Europe) while lack of cooperation on Earth hinders cooperation in space (Iran-Syria nonproliferation).

The US and Russia already have such a docking mechanism on ISS (APAS), so all China has to do is buy the things from RSC Energia like NASA, Rockwell, and Boeing have done. There’s no need to “coddle” them.

A universal docking mechanism between Chinese/US/Russia/ISS manned spacecraft could prove very valuable in an emergency. The Navy’s submersible DSRV had a US/Soviet docking port that allowed it to be able to rescue any submarine. I don’t think that signaled that we liked the Soviets anymore, it was simply an action to protect submariners’ lives.

Would a similar space docking port be acceptible for reasons other than coddling China?

A strategy now thoroughly discredited. Apollo-Soyuz failed to encourage the Soviets from invading Afghanistan, and ISS failed to encourage the Russians from proliferating weapons, missile technology, and nuclear technology to Iran. Chinese access to ISS will, more likely than not, fail to encourage them not to invade Taiwan if they perceive it’s otherwise in their interests to do so.

Space cooperation with China should be withheld and granted only as a reward for good behavior, not granted up-front in the naive hope of encouraging good behavior later.

Use cooperation on limited (and what were viewed as relatively unimportant) projects to encourage “good behavior” in your opponent.

Donald, how or why should Chinese flights to the ISS as helpful “cooperation”?

what was the American strategy toward the Soviet Union during the Cold War

American space strategy vis 1a vis the USSR prior to the disintegration of same was to beat the Rooskies in the race to the Moon. I don’t see any cooperation there.

Oh OK, the Apollo Soyuz rendezvous make us all love each other.

… (and when Mr. Clinton brought them into the Space Station)

The ISS is and was a mistake. The evil Bracnh Clintonian cult did not initiatiate Russian involvment in the lovely ISS. The Reagan and the Bush I admin.’s laid the ground work for the International Space Station spasm.

And what has cooperating on the ISS with the Rooskies accomplished? Not much. Vlad the Bad’s regime today is helping the Iranians build A-bombs.

— Donald

http://www.thespacereview.com/article/492/1

As I noted, this is primarily a summary of a conference that I attened in Washington, DC.