Nixon, who ditched Taiwan for Commie REPUBLIC of China wouldn't have known either.
Nor would GHW Bush fondness of the place he had been stationed at and his son's making China's Most Favored Nation status, which the GOP just love, permanent.
Trump's ties ties (see what I did there?) aren't ditching that ride either.
Add to that subsidies and tax incentives for US corps to relocate factories to there, Republicans made China into the World's 2nd biggest economy.