The government announced that China's total trade would amount to about US$800 billion this year as the nation witnessed a spectacular growth in imports. With such high import growth, China is expected to eclipse Japan to become the world's third largest importer after Germany and the US.
The State Council Development Research Center, the top government thinktank, predicted that China's import total would reach US$1,000 billion within the next three years, far outpacing exports.