China's Trade Surplus as Percentage of GDP Since 1998

choi

Eduardo Porter, 将中国列为货币操纵国为时已晚. 纽约时报中文网, Apr 12, 2017
http://cn.nytimes.com/business/2 ... manipulation-trade/

, which is translated from

Eduardo Porter, Calling Out China's Tricks Way Too Late. New York Times, Apr 12, 2017
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/ ... pulation-trade.html
("While China’s surplus with the United States is pretty big — almost $350 billion — its global surplus is modest, at 2.4 percent of its gross domestic product last year")

My comment:
(a) There is no need, at all, to read the text of either the English or Chinese version.
(b) In the English version -- both in print and online -- there is a graphic whose heading is "A Changing Trade Picture." The right panel is titled "China's global trade surplus" from 1998 to 2016 (inclusive) as "% of gross domestic product."  China's high water mark was 2007, which drop precipitously in 2008 financial crisis. I recall clearly that at the time, China whistled past the graveyard, contending that the West's demand for Chinese goods would not drop. because they are basic (such as food) that folks need even in desperate times. Wromg, it turns out.