China has just passed the US to become the World's largest trading nation.
This was not unexpected and the gap will grow.
Whilst the US and Europe have been attempting to act as the World's policemen, sending troops to almost every corner of the planet, China has concentrated on economic growth.Â
The West, whilst waging "war on terror" has weakly surrendered economic victory to the Chinese.Â
The Chinese don't need to send guns abroad. Their cheque books give them all the firepower they need.
In Europe, the Chinese have been buying up infrastructure, including shares in water companies.
In South America, railways have been amongst the investments of the Boys from Beijing.
In Africa, all Zimbabwean Diamonds are flown straight to China. Much Nigerian oil heads in the same direction.
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None of this is surprising. What else can the Chinese do?
Chinese vaults are full of Dollars, Euros and Pounds. These bits of paper devalue badly if left to moulder in secure surroundings.
So China is on a mission to spend, spend, spend. They are leaving the fight against terrorism to others and are winning their chosen war virtually unopposed.
Those that glibly argued for "Free Trade" didn't budget for such huge, uncorrectable, imbalances arising.
Ironically, the only country in the black at the moment is China. Everyone else is in the red, which of course is the way the communists always wanted it anyway.