Best rescue plan

Some lament the absence of an explicit Chinese promise to bail out the IMF. Some complain about their leaders' failure to extract a Chinese concession on Tibet.

But sensible Europeans should celebrate what Premier Wen Jiabao brought to the Old Continent - political will and confidence to maneuver decent growth at home, and readiness to lend a hand to struggling Europe.

That is about the best they can reasonably expect and we can afford to commit to. While the world looks on us to play a rescuer's role, we are glad to hear Premier Wen reminding Britons our per capita gross domestic product remains 1/16 of theirs. Heroism and moral responsibility aside, few other countries are more anxious to see an immediate upturn in the global economic scenario. Our dependence on export markets determines that.