Published Oct 04, 2010 at 12:00 PM EDT Updated Oct 04, 2010 at 1:17 PM EDT Over the past two weeks, all of Asia watched with alarm as China forced Japan to back down in a maritime dispute by downgrading diplomatic ties, and tolerating if not encouraging public street protest against Tokyo as well as halting shipments of critical industrial metals to Japan. The face-off symbolizes Beijing's new att