As a matter of incompetence, or conspiracy, when the list of China’s top trading partners is presented, it shows the United States as the top dog.  But that’s misleading, because the European Union, as a whole, is not counted.

Instead, EU members are broken up into the individual member states.  If you look at the European Union as one trading unit, which it should be, then it’s Europe that is China’s number one trading partner.

Not only that, but the percent of trade between Europe and China has been going up.  This is more proof that China does not need the United States to be economically viable.

However, recently the Chinese General Administration of Customs announced a second straight month of decline in their trade surplus.  Lu Peijun, vice minister of the General Administration of Customs, said China’s trade conditions are deteriorating due to worldwide falls in demand, and rising domestic costs.