The United States is second, producing $20.5 trillion. The European Union is third, at $19.9 trillion. China has almost 1.4 billion people, more than any other country in the world. China remains a relatively poor country in terms of its standard of living. Its economy produces only $16,784 per person. In comparison, the U.S. GDP per capita is $65,118. China’s low standard of living allows companies there to pay their workers less than what American workers earn. That makes products cheaper, which lures overseas manufacturers to outsource jobs to China. They then ship the finished goods to the United States, China’s largest trading partner.
Components of China’s Economy
China built its economic growth on low-cost exports of machinery and equipment. Massive government spending went into state-owned companies to fuel those exports. These state-owned companies are less profitable than private firms and return only 4.9% on assets compared to 13.2% for private companies. These companies dominate their industries and include the big three energy companies: PetroChina, Sinopec, and China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC). China developed cities around these factories to attract workers. The government also funded the construction of railways and other infrastructure to support growth and imported massive amounts of commodities, like aluminum and copper. By 2013, the nearly 10% annual growth threatened to become a bubble. That’s when China looked toward economic reform. China spends 9% of GDP on infrastructure. In 2013, it launched its Belt and Road Initiative, one of the largest global infrastructure projects in history. China will spend $150 billion a year to link 68 countries along the old Silk Road with Europe. It will build ports, railways, and pipelines. China’s president, Xi Jinping, hopes the project will accomplish four objectives:
China’s Exports
In 2018, China exported $2.5 trillion or 16.2% of the world’s total exports. The EU is second, at $2.3 trillion, while the United States is third, exporting $1.7 trillion. In 2019, China shipped $451.7 billion worth of goods to the United States. Since the U.S. exports to China were only $106.5 billion, there’s a $345 billion U.S. trade deficit with China. In 2018, China shipped $302.9 billion to Hong Kong and $147.2 billion to Japan.
China’s Imports
China is the world’s third-largest importer. In 2018, it imported $2.1 trillion. China imports raw commodities from Latin America and Africa. These include oil and other fuels, metal ores, plastics, and organic chemicals. China also is one of the world’s largest consumers of commodities: China’s Share of World Commodity Consumption China buys U.S. debt to support the value of the dollar. This is because China pegs its currency, the yuan, to the U.S. dollar. It devalues the currency when needed to keep its export prices competitive.
Phase One Trade Agreement
As two of the world’s largest economies, the U.S. and China have been involved in many trade disputes. In January 2020, the two powers agreed to the Phase One Trade Agreement after several years of an escalating trade war. In the deal, China agreed to increase imports of U.S. goods by $200 billion annually. The U.S. agreed to cut tariffs on some goods by half. The two parties still were negotiating Phase Two of the trade agreement.
Economic Growth Slowing for China
In 2019, China’s economic growth rate slowed to 6.1%. It’s been declining since it hit 10.6% in 2010. Part of the decline was part of a deliberate strategy to head off an economic bubble before it burst. China’s economy had been growing at a rate its institutions could not sustain, necessitating a revamped strategy. The government mandated that its banks provide low interest rates in return for protection of the strategic industry. It created business investments in capital goods. It also led to inflation, a real estate asset bubble, growth in public debt, and severe pollution.
Shanghai Cooperation Organization
The Shanghai Cooperation Organization is a central Asian military alliance that combats terrorism and drug trafficking while supporting free trade agreements. Its members share intelligence and combine military operations to counter both terrorism and cyber-terrorism. It is China’s version of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Its members are China, Russia, and the countries along their borders, including Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Pakistan, India, and Uzbekistan. The group represents almost half of the world’s population. Four of its members have nuclear weapons: Russia, China, India, and Pakistan. Many nations in the SCO possess large reserves of oil and natural gas, giving the organization potential to be a major economic influence in the world. Some analysts see friction among the member states as an obstacle to reaching full potential.
