Synonym a Day

[Knowing] that President-elect George W. Bush is an ardent advocate of closer US-Taiwanese military ties, the Chinese . . . have been deliberately avoiding any reciprocation to [the Taiwanese president’s] overturesin a hope that Bush, who would be too appetent to register a political score in his early days . . . may try to convince the Taiwanese leadership to offer further concessions to seek headway with China. (Imran Khalid, “China Cool to Taiwan’s Chen,” New Straits Times [Malaysia], 1/5/2001.)