Turning to China in a crisis
Updated on 13 October 2008
Could Beijing's cash help the rest of the world out of the credit crunch?
It could become the world's new economic powerhouse with $2tr in foreign reserves.
The American government has borrowed heavily from China in the past, now many believe it will have to ask for more of the same.
But Beijing won't be offering any blank cheques: it's likely to ask for large concessions in return.
And that could hand China's leaders huge political leverage.
