Noah Smith
Who Has the World's No. 1 Economy? Not the U.S.
By most measures, China has passed the U.S. and is pulling away.
The wear and tear doesn't help.
Photographer: Kurt Wittman/UIG via Getty ImagesThis article is for subscribers only.
What’s the most powerful country in the world? There’s a good case to be made that it’s China.
There are many kinds of power -- diplomatic, cultural, military and economic. So an easier question to ask is: What’s the world’s largest economy? That’s almost certainly China.
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Who Has the World's No. 1 Economy? Not the U.S.