China, Too Big to Ignore

a. According to IMF, China for the first time will contribute more to global economic growth than any other country
b. China is on track to surpass Germany as the world's third-largest national economy by dollar value with this year's estimated GDP growth of approximately 11%
c. China has become a rising source of profit for multinational companies
d. China is the world's biggest market for cellphones with more than 500 million subscribers, according to the country's Minstry of Information Industry
e. China is the second biggest market for PCs and cars behind the U.S.
f. With 162 million, China is home to second biggest number of internet users behind the U.S.
g. China is the biggest consumer of steel and iron ore
h. Per capita income has tripled in the past decade, fueling consumer spending
i. China has been pushed by the U.S. to allow its currency to trade more freely (arguably giving its products an unfair advantage in world markets) and to improve its environmental record
j. The average Chinese farm is less than 1 acre, compared with 440 acres in the U.S.
k. China is expected to soon surpass the U.S. as the world's largest greenhouse gas emitter
l. One the biggest source of agricultural-related greenhouse gas is nitrogen fertilizer, since only half the applied fertilizer is normally consumed by plants; the rest seeps into the ground
m. Intellectual property remains to be a major problem
n. YTD, Yuan has risen 3.7% in value against the dollar; China has been implored by the U.S. government to let its currency appreciate. Chinese stocks have fallen in recent weeks on concern that China's central bank would lift interest rates or take other steps to cool the economy. China's benchmark one-year lending rate is currently 7.02%. However, CPI also stood at a decade high of 6.5% in October. By raising rates further, China could have risked boosting the value of its currency, hurting exporters. A stronger yuan would make Chinese exports less competitive in world markets
o. According to eMarketer, the number of Internet users in China is expected to reach 245.5 million by 2011, up from 133.5 million in 2006. That leaves a huge room for growth for a country with 1.3 billion people!
p. China has cash to spare in the form of foreign reserves of around $1.4 trillion
q. In China, the rise of the consumer class means its rapidly growing economy is no longer dependent on exports
r. China uses coal , which is relatively abundant and cheap, to generate 78% of its electricity, vs. 50% in the U.S. China becomes a net importer of coal this year for the first time