America absorbs Chinese imports, pays China in dollars, and China holds dollars, amassing $2.5 trillion in foreign-exchange reserves, much of it held in US Treasury securities. To some observers, this represents a fundamental shift in the global balance of power, because China could bring the US to its knees by threatening to sell its dollars.
美国从中国进口商品，付给中国美元；中国持有美元，积累了25亿美元的外汇储备，其中大部分是美国国债。在某些观察家看来，这代表了全球实力天平的一种根本性转变，因为中国可以通过威胁卖掉其持有的美元而挫败美国。