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It seems a shame to get rid of China's character system when there's such a vast, fascinating history behind it. I actually started learning Chinese because I liked the characters. The "radical" system is nifty, adding extra meanings to a character. For example, "po" (break) includes the radical for rock: I can just see an ancient Chinese using a rock to break open a clam shell. And "jue" (decide) includes the radical for ice, suggesting the liquidity of deliberation freezing into the solidity of decision.
You know, besides the writing system, Chinese isn't tough in all respects. Its grammar system is fairly simple and straightforward. And in some ways Japanese is harder: there you put a preposition at the end of a clause instead of the beginning.
