If the climate change conference in Copenhagen failed to meet the expectations of both developed and developing countries, it did make one thing clear: The United States remains the most powerful developed country and China is acknowledged as a leading representative of the developing countries, though not all of them are happy about this.

Copenhagen revealed the emergence of a coalition of large developing countries, known as BASIC, that consist of Brazil, South Africa, India and China, of which China is the most important member.

It also revealed a gap between the interests of the major developing countries and the most vulnerable of the developing countries, such as island nations whose very existence has been put in doubt because of rising sea levels.