China's might prompts free trade queries

China's meteoric rise as a force in the global economy is prompting a rethinking of the long-held assumption that free trade is in the best interest of the US and the rest of the world, Knight Ridder Newspapers reported on Thursday, citing US economists and trade experts. China's success fuels fear that developing nations led by China and India will win the world's high-tech jobs and retain the low-skill, labor-intensive manufacturing jobs they already hold. Dominating the global economy could also mean overwhelming strategic might.