"I've wondered over the last little while, if we went to Mars and left the moon to China, for example, in that situation who really would have the "upper hand," so to speak? The engineers, scientists, and military people among us are infinitely better qualified than I am to make a judgement, but between the moon and Mars, doesn't the former have greater strategic value (if indeed either has any)?"

I would say that China wouldn't have much of a chance of developing the Moon by itself. I would extend this to say all the world's socialisms [space programs] wouldn't make much of a dent on the Moon. The engine which will make things happen on the Moon is a capitalism. What China *could do* in regards to the Moon is import world capital and talent by being in the driver seat in regards to various lunar projects. For instance, if there is a lunar radio telescope, then people all over the world will want access to it- or even before this if China could merely offered the potential of lunar telescope, these people could come up with the money to have it built.

I would say that if the road to the Moon is through China, then the road to Mars will also be through China. Though it seems to me that with Bush's Space plans the road to the Moon and Mars could very well be American led international road.