Article
Pieter Bottelier
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Source: Getty
In The Media
China's Role in the World Economy
China’s quick recovery from the Great Recession has raised questions about its role in the world economy and its relationship with the United States, where economic growth has been slow to return.
Published on Oct 3, 2010
Source: C-SPAN
Bottelier notes that the flare-up between U.S. and Chinese leaders over the value of China’s currency is problematic. Seeking an “adversarial relationship with China on trade is unwarranted and dangerous,” he warns. Tariffs on Chinese goods would make imports from China more expensive and create almost no jobs in the United States, since importers would simply look for new sources of goods rather than moving production to the United States. In short, Bottelier says, “by punishing China, there is very little that the United States can do without punishing itself.”
Rather than blame Beijing, the United States should see China as an opportunity. China and other large emerging markets could become extremely important sources for consumption of U.S. goods. This process will take time, however, as consumption is currently “too low in China, but this only indicates that there is an enormous potential for growth,” concludes Bottelier.
About the Author
Pieter Bottelier
Former Nonresident Scholar, International Economics Program
Bottelier was a nonresident scholar in Carnegie’s International Economics Program and senior adjunct professor of China studies at the School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), the Johns Hopkins University. His work currently focuses on China’s economic reform and development.
- China's Economy is Slowly Becoming More Normal
- China's Economy: Slower Growth, But Structural Reforms ProgressingArticle
Pieter Bottelier
Recent Work
Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.
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