China is the America of this century. The initial stages of the credit crunch in 2007 were managed so apparently painlessly because sovereign wealth funds from the Middle East, but above all from China, were willing to step in and recapitalize the debt of American and European institutions.  The pivotal moment in today’s events came when the Chinese SWF China Investment Co. was unwilling to go further in its exploration of buying Lehman Brothers.  CIC’s turning back will be held up in the future as a moment when history could have turned in a different direction.
中国就是本世纪的美国。2007年信贷危机之初处理尚且从容，那时因为来自中东尤其是中国的国家财富基金愿意介入并且重新给美国和欧洲公司注入资本。中国国家财富基金中国投资公司不愿进一步商讨收购雷曼兄弟公司，使得目前的事件达到了主要转折关口。中国投资公司转身而去将会在将来被视为历史转向的时刻。