PoochyB’s Wordstock

When China enjoys close economic and diplomatic relations with pariah states such as Burma, Sudan, and Zimbabwe, tension will result.

pa·ri·ah
n.  

1. A social outcast: “Shortly Tom came upon the juvenile pariah of the village, Huckleberry Finn, son of the town drunkard” (Mark Twain).
2. An Untouchable.

The linchpin to Asia’s promise is continued American engagement.

linch·pin or lynch·pin
n.  

1. A locking pin inserted in the end of a shaft, as in an axle, to prevent a wheel from slipping off.
2. A central cohesive element: Reduced spending is the linchpin of their economic program.