2006年，美国经常项目赤字达到了令人警惕的GDP的5.8 % ， 如今这一数字下降至GDP的2.7 % — —美国可以轻松地用版税收入和先期对外投资回报来弥补这一赤字，而不会增加新的外债。
America’s current-account deficit, which was an alarming 5.8% of GDP as recently as 2006, has now shrunk to just 2.7% of GDP – a level that the US can easily finance from its royalty income and returns on prior foreign investments without incurring additional foreign debt. Even more impressive, China’s current-account surplus, which reached an extraordinary 10% of GDP in 2007, is now barely 2.5% of national income.