China Overtakes Japan as World's Second-Largest Economy

    Posted 7:07AM 07/30/10 Posted under: Economy, People, Currency
    China is now the world's second-largest economy, having overtaken Japan, a senior Chinese official said.

    Yi Gang, the country's chief currency regulator, mentioned the achievement in comments published on the website of the State Administration of Foreign Exchange, Reuters reported.

    "China, in fact, is now already the world's second-largest economy," he said.

    China could even overtake the United States as the world's biggest economy in the next 20 years, according to forecasts by the World Bank and Goldman Sachs.

    Still, China's annual per-capita income is a mere $3,800, way below that of Japan and the United States.

    "China is still a developing country," Yi said.

    Tagged: asia, china, economy, Japan

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    Sooner Dog

    I think that Russia and Germany are still ahead of China, but maybe in 4-10 years. Amazing that Japan was number 2, is the Auto worth that much, and when China starts putting out the Auto for half the amount we can or do???

    August 08 2010 at 9:37 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
    MARSHA

    I don't understand how we can be the the largest economy and owe so much money - TO CHINA!

    August 08 2010 at 8:32 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
    GLEN McWILLIAMS

    Chinese governmetn give all foreignor own copmany 3 years tax free,the fourth year 15% tax in the early 1990',not just to american company,if american company dont go,japaniese company will,south korea company will,german company will....,so you really cant blame american company go to china,if they dont,they will left behind,you will probably end up detroyed our own american company,you will buy south kroea brand LG appliance insted of GE,you will buy Japan brand SONY,Tosibia,....intestd of buy DEll,apple,HP,ect...

    August 04 2010 at 3:43 PM Report abuse +2 rate up rate down Reply
    gyportcharlotte

    Everything China produces is copied from other countries. There is no copyright control - so they just steal everyone else's ideas and save the money on research and developement. Not only that but they also have no testing or quality control, so most of their products are crap. Buy from China - encourage sweat shop slave and child labor. Hopefully when the world economy picks up people will shun shoddy Chinese products - as they should!

    August 03 2010 at 12:35 AM Report abuse +4 rate up rate down Reply
    Horn Doctor

    Everything China produces now is ,if not top shelf, then close to it.Their musical instruments, especially their Violins, Violas, Violoncellos And Double basses are first rate.They are coming out with a line of cars that will put any thing out there now and give it a run for its money. Have you seen their latest Jet fighters and bombers lately. Very Impressive to say the least. The scope of their heavy industry manufactoring plants are massive. Now, if only they would treat their people better.

    August 02 2010 at 11:19 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
    Yager Realty

    Who forces us to buy Chinese goods? If we are upset about losing jobs to overseas businesses, it is caused by our own desire to buy less costly merchandise.

    When you shop for anything, read the label in the products you are about to buy. Unless it says Made in the USA, you are contributing to sending American jobs overseas.

    We can't have it both ways: less costly goods and goods made in the USA. The US Government isn't to blame, only we as consumers should blame ourselves.

    August 02 2010 at 9:08 PM Report abuse +6 rate up rate down Reply
    Ron

    so where's the surprise ? It should be outrage ! Many US companies are sending jobs and technology to China in order to increase their profits ! I know, I had to teach some Chinese Engineers my job so that the products I work on can be made over there, cheaper ? But also with cheaper quality, they do everything on the cheap, including paying their own laborers. The whole thing is a disgrace ! We are GIVING our hard earned skills and careers to China and get nothing but a larger traade deficit in return. They flood our economy with cheap junk and will eventually destroy it, which is their goal anyway ! THE U.S. IS STUPID !
    We, as citizens, need to vote out all incumbents and start with a clean slate in our own States and Washington, D C !

    August 02 2010 at 8:48 PM Report abuse +8 rate up rate down Reply
    1 reply to Ron's comment
    nanjimlom

    Many Americans are fully aware of your complaints. Unfortunately, we voters can not change it thru elections. Big business owns our government. It will take a massive movement thru citizen protests such as boycotting Chinese products and companies who produce them. Perhaps the only force large enough to lead this effort would be our labor unions.

    August 02 2010 at 8:58 PM Report abuse +6 rate up rate down Reply
    FCI Fincl Serv

    I remember Dick Nixon hugging Chairman Mao and Henry Kissinger standing in the background. I remember Mao's beaming smile! That was the start of all of this. Communism, Socialism, Capitalism- they are just names for Kingdoms run by the rich! We have not really made any progress since the signing of the Magna Carta.
    We are still serfs and our masters have found a new way to keep us enslaved. We are now prisoners of debt. Let's hope that Robin Locksley's descendants are alive and well today and that they will bedevil the tax collectors, the bill collectors and the rich! God save us all!

    August 02 2010 at 7:12 PM Report abuse +3 rate up rate down Reply
    gnhglobal

    We should be ashamed! The United States of America close to being overcome by foreigners in the world economy! We are in a sad state of affairs and the American People better wake up soon or we will be on the bottom looking up. Don't blame the Democrats or Republicans, blame every ugly American that keeps on voting for Idiots that all they want is for themselves. If I hear one more time "I AM THE PRESIDENT" from a total incompetant I will consider putting a gun to my head. How about less self praise, more humility and more hard work from everyone. How about teaching our youth respect and the importance of less politics and more wholesome values. NOT, "what's in it for me" attitude.

    gnhglobal@gmail.com

    August 02 2010 at 4:26 PM Report abuse +3 rate up rate down Reply
    1 reply to gnhglobal's comment
    Peg

    We're being overcome AND OVERRUN by foreigners. I disagree with voicer nanjimlom, we most certainly CAN vote to oust the sell-outs to big business and demanding TERM LIMITS will take care of the development of long-standing CROOKED relationships between the law makers and the law benders! It takes time to develop the "wink-wink" relationships that are so disgustingly prevalent in DC. It's time to clean house, rein-in and hold our public servants accountable!

    August 08 2010 at 12:34 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
    GLEN McWILLIAMS

    i read so many comment down here,i really feel sad,so many american people has no idea about the world,they blame Bush ,blame Regan,blame big corp.only thing they didnt blame is chinese government,why chinese government start econmic reforem 30 years ago after Mao die,why they dont still stay the commnisim way,want to copy america captalism way,why in 2000 ,Bill cliton will finally sign the bill,agree china join the WTO,so china finally join WTO in the beginning of 2001 through 10 years long effort,why chinese government give tax break to foreignor investor,they give foreignor corp. first 3 years tax free,then after ,15% corp. tax,and charge chinese own company 33% tax,i rember in the early 1980',a lot of my friend in china,they try to take advantge of this tax policy,they will find chinese american to resgiter a company in china for them,pay some money to chinese american for just using their foreignor identity.about 70% export from china are not chinese company,they are foreigor company,that is what it is in the beginning,chinese governemt give such good tax incentive to foreigor company,only requirment is their products must 100% export,cant sell in china,slowly in 1990's ,chinese government allow them to sell some pecentage of products in china,now they can sell all in china,the policy changes over the year,now since so many company already in china,chinese government dont give such good tax break to foreinor company any more,now chinese own company and foreigor own company enjoy same tax 33%,so many factor cause china rising,not just one factor,and dont forget,200 years ago,china was NO.1,no one can stop china rising,only chinese themself,,may be born another Mao,want redistrubute the wealth again,want to kill the rich again,want to go the karl Maxi commnism way again,in that case ,china will drop like hard stone,to the bottom again.by the way ,i am chinese american,live in china for 30 years,live in america for 11 years,some time , i listen to the congressman debate in C-Pan,i really want to shout out,say "**** up,you idiot,you know nothing.let me do the job,i know how",you dont know what's the problem,how you fix the problem,you want to defeat enemny,first you need know the enenmy well,that is chinese famous ShengZi mility strategy said,but i really dont know these polititian are pretend like dont know,or just try to fool the american people ,make them think that's the problem,so they can blame Bush,blame Regan,blame Wall street,blame bank,blame big corp. blame every body else,except themself,gain their own politic power,my guess is they just try to gain their own politic power,they cant be that stuipd,they are the congressman,they are the elite,i am just average person,cant even find a job although i have a chemical engineering degree plus business/ finance degree,they got be a lot smarter than me

    August 02 2010 at 3:13 PM Report abuse +5 rate up rate down Reply
    1 reply to GLEN McWILLIAMS's comment
    nanjimlom

    This is a bit difficult to understand but I think your point here is that China offered American companies 3 years tax free to move there. If this is true, we citizens were not aware of this and our leaders must have been paid to keep it quiet. Once again big business and our leaders led the charge to outsource American jobs for their profit.

    August 02 2010 at 8:50 PM Report abuse +3 rate up rate down Reply