What I continually find amazing is the head-in-the-sand attitude I've run into when you mention the topic of Space War. There are a great many, normally intelligent people that pooh-pooh the idea and say "there are laws against it and besides, the UN will never allow it, etc.".
The first nation to establish a permanent base on the moon will be able to dictate whatever they wish to any other nation on Earth. In military terms, it's called "the ultimate high ground". All it takes is a railgun on the lunar surface and nuclear weapons become the dinosaurs of military technology.
It has been whispered in space research circles for the past few years, that if you want to become a lunar colonist, then you had better learn to speak Chinese.
That is why I'm not really surprised at this news announcement.
http://www.dodbuzz.com/2009/11/04/china-declares-space-war-inevitable/