Bush's Focus on Iraq Gives China `Golden Moment' to Flex Power

By Ken Fireman

Jan. 24 (Bloomberg) -- For President George W. Bush, the past year has been a time of deepening anxiety about Iraq. For China's busy diplomats, it has been a period of growing confidence.

China was such a dominant force at last week's East Asian summit that Philippines President Gloria Arroyo called it ``a big brother in the region.'' The Chinese government is also active in the Middle East, Latin America and Africa, seeking access to energy supplies.