Analysis: Geography, not economy, counts in China's rebalancing

XI'AN, China (Reuters) - A gleaming new $1.4 billion airport extension, a $5.2 billion bullet train and Samsung's planned $7 billion electronics plant, touted as the largest single high-tech foreign investment in China, are sure signs of economic intent in ancient Xi'an.

A gleaming new $1.4 billion airport extension, a $5.2 billion bullet train and Samsung's planned $7 billion electronics plant, touted as the largest single high-tech foreign investment in China, are sure ...

THE World Bank's Louis Kuijs describes the evolution of Chinese trade since 2007:In all, China’s exports have continued to strongly outpace world trade. Their global market share rose from 7.4% in 2007 to an estimated 9.6% in 2010, and this trend has continued in the first 4 months of 2011.

Looking for evidence of rebalancing in Europe? Don't look here: German 2012 trade surplus soars despite weak December reports Germany's trade surplus was the second highest in more than 60 years in 2012, pointing to an underlying resilience in Europe's largest economy, although both imports and exports disappointed in the last month of the year.

From an article in the newest issue of GlobalAsia: Only a few months ago, policymakers around the world were confronted with a series of challenges that, while substantial, seemed relatively well defined. International organizations such as the International Monetary Fund and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development highlighted the challenges of a two-speed recovery: emerging markets racing ahead, advanced economies plodding along.