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The problem I have with any reports of China's economy (GDP, inflation,...) is that fact that outsiders of the Chinese gov't do not know how doctored the number

The problem I have with any reports of China's economy (GDP, inflation,...) is that fact that outsiders of the Chinese gov't do not know how doctored the numbers are. The Chinese could have been (and are still continuing) in cooking the books to achieve the #1 economy. It is one of those "if the number is bigger, it is better" kind of deals. Could the US (and other countries) be doing something similar, absolutely. But China has been known for economical "miscalculations" and the fact that it is still a more-or-less communist run system. Sure they may have the biggest number on paper, but I really don't think the US has anything to worry about.

bayesianhorse 12y ago
On the one hand I don't trust Chinese numbers a lot, but they seem to be at least in the ball park to the actual numbers, and even that is a major achievement considering the size of the Chinese economy, its lack of technology in many parts and a bureaucracy which isn't exactly renowned for its "accuracy". In general, if this "PPP" calculation shows China overtaking the US, this is probably happening in "PPP" terms. Doesn't mean they have more economic weight in the world, though.