Welcoming President Jiang Zemin of China to a meeting of Asia-Pacific leaders in Mexico last October, President Vicente Fox called China "a great power with major influence, playing active roles in international affairs". China's state-run news agency happily played up the flattery. But as crises now approach in Iraq and North Korea, China is playing only a marginal role and, more to the point, seems disinclined to exert whatever influence it could bring to bear. Much as it likes to be seen as an important world power, it is still in the middle ranks.
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