With Cuicuilco eliminated as a potential rival, any one of a number of relatively modest towns might have emerged as a leading economic and political power in Central Mexico.
It would reinforce the perception that China is not just a rival for the distant future but is swiftly becoming an economic and military match for the us.
China's massive size means that, though it is not yet a rival for the economic might of the United States, it does have the ability to influence the prospects of countries far beyond its borders.