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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.

Link Copied
By Pieter Bottelier
Published on Oct 3, 2010

Source: C-SPAN

After seeing growth slow during the Great Recession, China has revived its economy through a very effective stimulus program, explains Pieter Bottelier. The rise in unemployment was quickly reversed, and real wages are now rising rapidly across China. China is not without problems, however. Inflation, particularly in real estate, is rising and overheating is becoming a serious concern.

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.

    Recent Work

  • Article
    China's Economy is Slowly Becoming More Normal

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  • Article
    China's Economy: Slower Growth, But Structural Reforms Progressing

      Pieter Bottelier

Pieter Bottelier
Former Nonresident Scholar, International Economics Program
Pieter Bottelier
EconomyTradeEast AsiaChinaNorth America

Carnegie India 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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