"Beijing needs the love and Brussels needs the money." Little doubt in my mind China will participate in Eurozone “bailout fund” – EFSF; political consideration more than economic returns is what China seeks to extract from a currently vulnerable Euro establishment. Beijing will posture as a means of obfuscating its agenda. Nonetheless, there are already more than a few signals – clues is too subtle a term as China is becoming more direct in its demands as to not have its strategic objectives lost in tides of nuanced communications. The new EFSF (European Facility Stabilization Fund) Head Klaus Regling was in Beijing with hand out. This was even before the EFSF has defined by which methodology it would operate – primarily insurance, lender, perhaps purchaser of troubled assets of last resort or some combination thereof. Nonetheless, such pre-eminence has been given by EU leaders to China’s participation that this was the unofficial-official starting point for the EFSF fund raising tour – the fund is now targeted at 1 trillion Euros or approximately $1.4 US Dollars. China’s Signals:  Participation by broader range of states, but China I think is particularly keen on other BRICS to join as part of its effort to build a new political and trading alliance with the BRICS.  China does not want to be bothered by anymore queries/complaints on its human rights record and treatment of minorities as in Tibet. (Perhaps the Dalai Lama will become persona non-grata in European capitals although it is highly unlikely that EU would follow South Africa’s precedent in denying visa).  China wants to be acknowledged to have freer hand in its region – a kind of sphere of influence with direct implications for Taiwan relations and ongoing dispute over Spartly Islands with neighbors Vietnam, Malaysia, Philippines, Brunei, Japan (as well as Taiwan). (READ - diplomaticallyincorrect.org/films/blog_post/vietnam-china-position-for-a-faceoff-along-with-philippines-malaysia-brunei-and-taiwan-by-ambassador-mo/29292 ) US Dollar as Reserve Currency: The ongoing effort to replace the US dollar as the global currency is a Chinese priority, almost obsession. (READ - diplomaticallyincorrect.org/films/blog_post/a-french-woman-or-an-asian-man-us-big-loser-by-ambassador/2814 )Undoubtedly China will try and probably extract concessions to this agenda from the Eurozone and the IMF, which also is keen to see China’s involvement in the EFSF. Efforts to Isolate US & Divide NATO? China was taken aback by NATO’s rapid and now perceived as effective intervention in Libya. Besides its then rapidly growing investments in Gaddafi’s Libya, Beijing has lost on several fronts – from its distrust/distaste for the International Criminal Court to disfavor for any intervention that it broadly defines as internal or sovereign matters to NATO’s expanding direct military/political role beyond core Europe. New Counter-Polar to US: Underneath all of this is Beijing’s view that it is the new counter-polar to the US. The old Soviet Union is gone, and Russia is not perceived as a rival up to task on several fronts. US is also increasingly cognizant to this view. Beijing’s greatest asset in this rivalry is economic might and huge foreign reserves. The evolution of the BRICS economic/political alliance is moving forward on such foundations. BRICS on basis of my sources are increasingly acting in coordinated fashion within UN Security Council (as Brazil, India and South Africa had been elected as non-permanent members in last 2 years joining Russia and China). It cannot though apply such economic might to convince US that it should have free hand with respect to Taiwan and region. However, it can isolate US even if gradually from its economic/political/military allies. Success in its strategy in Europe may be slow, but it would undermine US strategic interests in what US sees as its own backyard – NATO. One Night Stand or More? Yes, it is fair to suspect that Beijing will employ the Euro crisis to further its agenda of eroding US dollar position as “global reserve currency” and to weaken and isolate UD political/military influence as well economic pre-eminence. China needs the love and Eurozone needs the money. I suspect both Beijing and Brussels will profess a deeper relationship, but whether it turns out to be more than a dalliance remains to be seen. Read –“Step Toward Eurozone Resolution”- diplomaticallyincorrect.org/films/blog_post/step-toward-eurozone-resolution-money-flash-by-ambassador-mo/38351 By Ambassador Muhamed Sacirbey Facebook – Become a Fan at “Diplomatically Incorrect” Twitter – Follow us at DiplomaticallyX Related Reports at “International Financial Crisis Channel” - diplomaticallyincorrect.org/c/international-financial-crisis