China Communist Journal Issues a Rare Call to Curb Trade Surplus

An influential journal of China’s leading Communist Party published a rare warning about risks associated with the nation’s gaping trade surpluses, saying that pushing exports too far can expose the economy to vulnerabilities at home and abroad.

“Export growth is not simply ‘the bigger, the better,’” an article in Qiushi, the party’s theoretical journal, published Tuesday said. The author, special commentator Xie Qian, said that “blindly pursuing larger exports and trade surpluses can create significant risks for economic development.”

The article called for a “moderate reduction” in the excess of exports over imports, while stopping short of urging outright ...